heard the sound of the laser fire, Alex popped out of the brush, sweeping in to grab teenage Mick Rory and escort him back to the Waverider.
"Come with us if you want to live," Ray's serious expression didn't last long, grinning at Alex as she tightened her grip on the young arsonist, "I always wanted to say that."
She chuckled and pressed forward, meeting the rest of the group just outside of the young kid's burning house.
"Excellent work Miss Prince and Mr. Palmer," Rip smiled at both of them, flashing young Mick with the memory altering device and bringing him aboard the camoflagued ship.
"You and the boy scout have fun?" Leonard teased and she smacked him on the head, shaking hers as she boarded the ship, letting Jax handle young Mick Rory.
One was enough for her to deal with.
Unfortunately, his partner refused to leave her alone.
"You should tell him about that picture before he finds out himself," Leonard threatened, a smirk on his face as he walked by her side.
Alex scoffed, "That's gonna be hard for him to do seeing as I burned the damn thing."
Snart grabbed her bicep, stopping her in the middle of the hallway, "You did what?"
"He was going to find out sooner or later," Alex explained, recalling Kendra's threat when they returned from visiting her older self, "This way, he never finds out."
"And you're okay with that?"
Silence hung between the two of them and she played with her fingertips. Biting her lip, she finally forced herself to tell the truth to someone.
"No Leonard, of course I'm not okay," She snapped, unable to tell her friends anymore lies, "I want to tell Ray more than anything, but I can't." She inhaled sharply, trying to keep the pressure behind her eyes from bursting. "I can't tell anyone anything and it sucks because if I do I risk ruining the entire timeline and Ray's entire future, as well as getting my own feelings hurt, so I can't!"
She leaned her back against the wall hanging her head in frustration, Leonard's stare locked onto her.
The two of them stood in silence until Gideon instructed the Team to meet in the bridge.
"Come on Girl Scout," Leonard's voice was softer, gesturing down the hallway, "Let's go save the rest of the Team and then we can figure this out."
Alex nodded, sniffling as she straightened her back, charging down the winding path to the bridge, everyone waiting for the two of them before explaining what was going on. Mick entered the room a few seconds after them.
" ," Stein acknowledged, "How are you feeling? I mean, your younger self."
Mick shrugged, as if he couldn't care less, "Jax is watching him."
Alex smirked at the idea of Jax having to deal with a younger, more volatile Mick Rory.
"That young man, you, just lost his family," Stein continued, "You might want a shoulder to cry on."
"I don't cry, Professor." Mick deadpanned, passing Alex and Ray on his way to sit down, "Oh, Princess, Haircut, thanks for saving me."
Alex nodded at him, knowing he wasn't a fan of big thank yous or your welcomes. Ray however, looked proud to be acknowledged.
"You're welcome" He smiled, turning back to Rip, "You know what I don't get is why doesn't the Pilgrim just go back a week earlier and kill younger Rory then?"
"Cause the Omega Protocol calls for precision." Rip explained, his eyes still trained on the table before him, "Multiple attempts from the Pilgrim could do irreparable temporal damage."
"Which means she's only got one shot at killing each and every one of us." Mick groaned from his seat.
Rip nodded, and Alex placed her elbows on the desk, trying to meet Rip's eyes, "So you're saying we only have one chance to save them?"
"Exactly."
Alex sighed in frustration, Gideon interrupting their conversation, "Sir, based on the temporal wake generated by the Pilgrim's time ship, I calculate a 96% likelihood that she is heading to Starling City circa 2007."
Alex straightened up at that. That was the year the Gambit crashed. And there was only person on board that was in Star City in 2007.
"Sara," She pushed passed the rest of the Team, Rip stopping her by grabbing her shoulders.
"No, I need you to stay here," He urged, "I'll go grab Miss Lance."
Alex shook her head, "She's my friend Rip, I should be there,"
Rip placed his hands on his hips, grimacing at her words. Clearly he didn't like his decision either. "You're too emotionally invested, besides, I have a feeling Miss Lance would quite like to visit her home again"
Alex grit her teeth and stood in place, watching Rip retreat down the hall.
Ray found her in her room a few moments later. Alex was playing with the tiny extrapolator, flipping it upward in the air before catching it in her palm, her actions ceasing the moment she caught sight of Ray in the doorway.
"Hey," She smiled, placing the extrapolator in the drawer beside her bed, hopping off it, "Did Rip say anything about Sara?"
Ray nodded, his nerves catching in his throat as he moved forward, thinking about what he was going to do. "Yeah, she made it back okay,"
Alex let out a sigh of relief, tension disappearing from her shoulders, "So what's up? Do you need anything?"
Ray's hand shook, barely able to grasp the flimsy piece of paper that he had stuffed in his back pocket. The piece of paper that he'd been carrying around since Gideon had reformed it.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about something,"
Alex's smile dissipated and her arms dropped to her side. Clearly she knew something about the photograph in his hands.
Her gaze moved downward and she bit her lip. "You found out didn't you?"
Ray nodded, gesturing to the picture, "What I don't understand is why didn't you tell me?"
Alex leaned against her bedframe, her mouth open but unable to form words. His heart was pounding against his chest, the space between them cavernous, her eyes never leaving his face.
"I thought I was protecting you," She admitted, emotion thick in her voice, "The truth is I was protecting myself, and you deserved to know, but I couldn't…" She began to pick at her fingernails, unable to finish the sentence as she stared off into space.
Ray pressed through the uncomfortable silence, something tugging him toward her. He joined her in leaning against the bed, handing her the burnt half of the photo.
"Whoever he is…" Ray's voice caught in his throat, not anticipating how hard this would be for him, "He's a lucky guy."
Alex smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder, and warmth fluttered in his gut. Ray's lips twisted upward, his gaze moving to Alex's face as she stared out into space.
Swallowing his nerves, Ray summoned the courage to finally ask the question that had been plaguing his mind, "What happened to him?"
Alex was silent for a minute, and Ray had thought he had screwed up permanently by asking that. After all, he knew what it was like to lose a fiance.
"I kept secrets from him," She finally confessed, choking on her words, "And I thought I was protecting his feelings, but really I was just being selfish."
Ray's eyes drifted downward, watching as Alex chewed on her bottom lip in thought, clearly suffering from her own struggles aboard the ship. He hadn't even asked how she had been doing this entire time.
What kind of friend was he?
The kind who would rectify his mistakes, he decided.
"Alex," He began, tone serious, "What is it?"
She shook her head, clearly upset with something, "I can't," She choked out, her voice breaking, "It's not my place to tell you, I shouldn't be the one to tell you, hell I even promised Kendra I wouldn't-"
He interrupted her rambling with a worried query, "Kendra?" Was something wrong with her? "What's the matter? Did something happen? Is she okay?"
Silence hung between them and Ray began to count to seconds.
Five...six..seven...eight...nine...ten-
"She never told you," Alex finally broke through the torturous quiet, her dark hues glassy with unshed tears, "Did she?"
Ray moved back in surprise. Kendra had told him everything. They had made that promise after dealing with Per Degaton. If something else had happened, he would've known about it.
So why was Alex acting so weird?
"Tell me what?"
Her breathing grew heavier, upset with the content of her words, upset to be betraying the promise she made to her friend. "Kendra, she and Carter-"
Ray was flung across the room, groaning in pain as his back slammed against the wall, his body landing on the floor.
"Ray!" He thought he heard Alex's voice pierce through the ringing in his ears, his head feeling like it was filled with cotton as he tried to shake it loose.
He felt his bodyweight lifted upward, his stomach twisting in pain as another phantom punch sent him reeling, coughing up blood onto the floor of the Waverider.
"Gideon!" There it was again. That same angelic voice that had called his name. Goddamn, his head hurt. More of his body weight was lifted upward as the walls of the Waverider flew past him, the person carrying him picking up speed.
His view was sideways, like his body was horizontal instead of vertical. His body ached, more phantom punches burning through his skin. His vision grew darker.
The pains stopped as a sharp object pricked his skin, worried shouts fading in and out.
The only thing he caught sight of was the curly-haired woman above him, her kind eyes imprinting themselves onto his brain, where they stayed even when everything else went dark.
"Alex," he whispered, recalling the woman who had saved him. "Alex," His lips lifted upward, a soft smile on his face as the sedative set in.
Alex.
She kicked down the door, stepping in front of an injured Ray, facing the assassin.
"You're lucky they didn't instruct me to kill you," The Pilgrim sneered, "Too important I guess."
Alex cocked her head, widening her legs into a battle stance, "Funny, to everyone else I'm a nobody."
The Pilgrim's boots clicked against the floor, sauntering forward. "Get out of my way," She ordered.
Alex readied her sword, "Not a chance."
Right on time, a geyser of flame shot out from the hallway, straight toward the assassin. She turned to Rip, who was currently trying to convince Ray to come with him.
Alex faced the other woman again, shock lining her face as she watched her stop the flame in mid-air and throw it back at the meta-humans, sending Firestorm flying through the window.
"I won't ask again," She shot at the retreating men, her blaster only blocked by Alex's cuffs, "Get out of my way."
Alex grit her teeth, "I don't think so," With a giant clang she brought her bracelets together, catching the assassin off guard as the wave decimated everything in its path, sending the Pilgrim out the window, colliding with the ground below.
When she reached the Med-Bay Ray was drifting in and out of consciousness, and Gideon finally had some good news for her.
"Mr. Palmer's vitals are stabilizing," The AI told her and Alex wanted to cry of relief right then and there.
Alex wasted no time, she went in for a crushing hug, gripping her friend tightly. "Thank god you're okay."
Flashes of memories that weren't hers moved through her brain. A plane blowing up in the air. Soft I love yous exchanged over a watch. Her dad seeing her mom for the last time.
She squeezed the broken timepiece on her wrist.
Ray was okay.
Ray wasn't her father.
Ray was alive.
"Alex," He whispered like a prayer into her hair, nuzzling into her shoulder, "Thank you for saving me."
She pulled away, wiping a few tears that had leaked out away from her eyes, "Anytime." She chuckled, moving away to allow Kendra to reunite with her boyfriend.
"They did it." The other woman smiled, her arms crossed, kept to herself.
Ray smiled, staring at Alex before cracking a joke, "Actually, I think you get most of the credit," He directed at Kendra, "I couldn't miss spending the rest of our lives together."
Alex knew that was her cue to slip out. The moment she had been dreading was happening, and as much as she loved Ray, she couldn't stand to watch it.
"I meant it, Ray." Alex heard Kendra murmur, "I love you."
The door to the med-bay automatically shut behind her, and Alex forced herself to hold her head up high as she waited for their moment to be over.
"Miss Prince?" Gideon's voice sounded concerned, "Is everything alright?"
Alex nodded, her expression clearly indicating otherwise. The creases in her forehead were starting to make a permanent residence there, and she was already familiar with the twisting in her stomach.
"Yes, Gideon," She choked out, "Everything's fine."
Kendra walked out a few minutes later, eyes glassy and a regretful look passing over her face. She shot a glare at Alex before slowly marching away, leaving Ray alone in the Med-Bay.
Alex stuffed her hands in her back pockets as she moved forward, forcing a smile on her face as she sat on the chair by his bed.
Ray was staring out into space, his jaw clenched and face red. Soft tears were trickling down his face, and he didn't look like a man who had just found out he was going to get married.
"So when's the big day?" Alex asked, her voice flat, void of any emotion.
Ray didn't look her way. "Never. She said no."
His voice was just as flat as hers, except there was one emotion that could be heard in his deep growl. Anger. Heartbreak. Grief.
Alex reached over, ignoring the horrible butterflies in her stomach jumping for joy at the news. She grasped his hand in hers, thumb rubbing the veins lining the back of his hand.
"You were right," Ray continued solemnly, swallowing his grief, he finally turned his head to meet her gaze, "She's still in love with Carter isn't she?"
There was no hiding it this time.
She nodded.
Ray sniffled, "That's what you were going to tell me, I should've-" He cut himself off, biting his lip as he scrunched his eyebrows together in frustration. "I should've seen it sooner."
"Hey," Alex began, sitting on his hospital bed, "This is not your fault,"
Ray didn't believe a single word she was saying.
Her heart was tugging, telling her that this was her chance, that this was what she's been waiting for. But she was her mother's daughter.
She was Ray's friend.
And right now her friend was grieving, and she would not take advantage of that.
"Will you stay?" The request was soft, so quiet that she might not have heard it if she wasn't sitting so close.
Alex nodded, trying to keep her emotions tucked in a box as she moved closer to Ray, her hand never leaving his.
"Alex?" Ray whispered, his voice barely audible. Alex looked over to let him know that she heard him, Ray's face softened as he met her gaze, "Thank you."
She returned the smile, a warmth filling her chest, "Anytime."
Alex's grip never left Ray's hand, until Rip instructed them to remove their seatbelts. But she refused to leave him alone. She wouldn't leave him alone.
"We're here." Rip spoke with unease, glancing around him like they had been followed. Which they probably had.
"Where is here?" Leonard asked, continuing his earlier suspicion of the captain.
Rip turned toward the rest of the team, "Come, I'll show you."
They followed Rip out the ship, a large brown mansion towering over them. It reminded Alex of Oliver Twist, that book she had to read for her Freshman English class all those years ago.
It looked like a home.
Her boots slid against the marble floor in the foyer, bright warm light surrounding her as she pressed forward, "What is this place?"
"A safe harbor," Rip announced, something lingering in his stare as he gazed around the house, "to keep your younger selves."
As they moved into the living area, an elderly woman appeared from behind the wall, a kind smile on her face.
" I've been waiting," She moved to embrace their Captain, "It's good to see you."
Rip pulled away, a hint of a smile on his lips, "It is good to see you too, Mother."
The whiplash that Alex felt disappeared as several kids came running past them, laughter filling the room as they spilled out of the back door, Rip's mother yelling after them.
"Don't forget to take your boots off before you come back in!"
Alex smiled at the domesticity she was witnessing, Ray stopping her in her path.
"Hey," he began, and she crossed her arms, a small smile on the edge of her lips.
"Hey," She responded, "You look like you're feeling better,"
Ray's lips twisted upward, "I think so, I mean, being around children isn't much better but…"
Alex couldn't stop the chuckle from leaving her mouth, the two settling into a comfortable silence that was rudely interrupted by a hurried Rip.
"We have to go now," He urged, the pair followed Rip outside and back into the ship. When they made their way toward the bridge Rip didn't hesitate to call the rest of the team to attention.
"Everyone please report to the main deck immediately."
Sara was the first to reach the bridge, the rest of the team falling in behind her, "What's going on?"
Rip sighed and faced them, upset with the circumstances, "Gideon has intercepted a trans-chronal beacon. Gideon, show them."
With a flash the Pilgrim appeared onscreen, her expression remaining stoic.
"This message is for Rip Hunter," She began, voice monotone, void of any emotion, "I'm going to make this very quick and very simple."
The screen changed, and a series of portraits replaced her. A woman with curly hair who looked remarkably similar to Snart, Sara's father, Stein and his wife posing for a photo in the park, Ray and his fiance. A man who looked strikingly like Jax.
"If I can't find you, I can find those you love."
"Anna?" Ray whispered, the same time Jax yelled, "Dad!"
The Pilgrim looked victorious as she reappeared on the screen, "All of them will suffer and die because of you," She guilted, sneering at her words, "Your family, friends, anyone you've ever cared about. Unless you surrender your younger selves to me."
"So she can erase you all from history!" Rip yelled at his team, desperate to keep them safe, regardless of personal cost.
"If it's of any comfort, you won't feel a thing," The Pilgrim did nothing to soften the blow, "As for your loved ones, I cannot promise the same thing."
Anger bubbled inside her. How messed up do you have to be to bring people back to life and then kill them again?
"And for Alexandra Prince," She threatened, her sneer somehow growing wider, "I have a special punishment for you." Alex pressed forward until her face was in the center of the screen, jaw clenched. The Pilgrim's sneer twisted into a smirk, "I may not be able to kill you, but there's one person that I can kill,"
Alex gritted her teeth, Sara and Leonard moving forward to flank her, Ray stepping in behind her. What the fuck was her sick fascination with her?
When the figure appeared onscreen, she felt any confidence leave her. Fear paralyzed every nerve in her body and she wanted nothing more than to collapse into a ball on the floor.
It wasn't possible.
She couldn't have gotten ahold of him.
"Dad?" Her voice broke, unable to process what was happening anymore.
The young man shook his blonde head, bright blue eyes darting around to try and get a sense of his surroundings.
"That's the remarkable thing about Time Masters," The Pilgrim bragged, "Sometimes their technology is so advanced they're able to hop universes."
"Let him go!" Alex snarled, her anger flaring up at the woman. The assassin didn't show any sign of granting her request.
"You have one hour," The Pilgrim threatened, her transmission cutting off.
Suddenly it hit her, the weight crippling her as flashes of a lifetime ago flew past her. The feeling of her sword entering the chest of a man who could stop time.
The screams of a family watching as she had killed the villain she had been up against. The man who had threatened her best friends.
She remembered the dark black hair and the screams of a child, her name on the man's breath as he fell to the ground.
Alex's breathing grew shallow and the world felt like it was spinning. Her barrier broke, the hot water burning against her face as her legs turned to jello, fumbling underneath her until Sara grabbed her arm pulling her back up.
"Hey, hey, hey," The blonde began, wiping the tears from Alex's face, "It's gonna be okay, we're going to save him."
Alex shook her head, "You don't understand," her voice broke as she collided with Sara's shoulder, "I killed her father, and now she's gonna kill mine."
"No she won't," an unexpected source of support came from Snart, "Because we're gonna stop this son of a bitch."
She turned around and nodded at him, letting him know that his support was appreciated. But she didn't believe it.
The Pilgrim had threatened her once before. Only she couldn't kill Alex. So she had to kill the people close to her.
"Leonard's right," Ray spoke up, determination filling his features, he even started to look like his old self, "You must have some kind of plan right?" He asked Rip, expecting the Captain to save them.
Rip only addressed the AI. "Gideon," His voice was stern, unflinching, "Hail the Pilgrim, please."
"What are you planning to do?" Stein interjected. Rip said nothing but faced the screen again.
"Captain Hunter." The Pilgrim sneered.
Rip wasted no time, "Look, I'm gonna make this easy."
"I already have," The bounty hunter bragged, "The lives of your team's nearest and dearest for their younger selves."
Rip clenched his jaw, and Alex watched as he mused for a bit before negotiating, "And I'm gonna counter that demand with an offer of my own," He paused, as if reconsidering what he was about to say, "I will surrender myself if you spare the lives of my crew and their loved ones."
The Pilgrim only cocked her head to the side, "A noble gesture. But worthless. My directive is to eliminate your entire team, not just you."
Rip chuckled mirthlessly, "Yes, well, I'm not talking about me now." He emphasized, and suddenly Alex was hit with a chilling realization. "I'm offering you me in the past."
"Rip don't-" Alex protested, pressing forward before his hand halted her movements.
"Rip Hunter before he became a Time Master." The Captain continued to explain, sadness tinting his tone, "Eliminate him, and this team will never have been."
The assassin seemed to consider this offer, but she was a good soldier too, asking the right questions, "If this is some kind of trick-"
"It's no trick," Rip popped the last word in his mouth, lowering his voice, "Enough people have died at my expense. Gideon will send you the location." He cut off the transmission and faced his awestruck team, parading around like he hadn't just given away his life, "And, , your wish is about to come true. You're going to meet my younger self."
She hated this plan. Not only could she not see her father until after the trade had been done, but she was certain this could get them killed if anything went wrong.
"Something on your mind girl scout?" Leonard smirked, readying his weapon, and Alex rolled her eyes.
"This plan is stupid," She stated, gripping her lasso a little bit tighter, knuckles going white.
"We'll get your dad back," Leonard reassured her, his tone turning serious. Alex met his bright blue gaze, "I promise."
She wasn't so sure about that. She knew what it was like to want revenge for the death of a family member. The guilt was eating her up again, screaming at her for taking a life all those years ago.
It had always been the Amazonian way, the warrior's way.
But it had never been her mother's way.
Her father's way.
She had failed them both. But that was too much to place on Leonard.
So she nodded and waited for Ray's signal. It came a few moments later.
"Now!" The sound of a weapon firing drew her out of the shadows, spinning her lasso so Leonard and Sara were protected as they charged forward, creating a shield for her two friends. She threw the golden rope forward in an attempt to ensnare the Pilgrim's wrist. Alex felt her movements slowed, the lasso stretching….stretching...stretching….until it finally froze.
Her dad was with Jefferson's in the corner of the room, and that was the last thing she remembers thinking before it all went blank.
The conversation was muffled, like she was hearing it through a thick wall.
"I was willing to proceed in good faith!" The Pilgrim yelled, "Now you'll watch those closest to you die!"
Movement returned to Alex for a nanosecond as the assassin faltered, and she tried to use it to her advantage, but the Pilgrim was in real-time, which meant she was faster.
The muffled voices returned.
"Thought you could snuff me out?" Child Rip's cockney accent floated upward into the ceiling, a cocksure smile on his face, "You don't know me at all, miss."
The Pilgrim screamed once again and stumbled further, releasing her grip on time, the lasso caught on her wrist, keeping her in place as weapons fired from all directions.
And when the smoke cleared, the Pilgrim was nothing more than a pile of dust.
Alex knelt down, chest constricting as she picked up a small pile of the Pilgrim's remains. "I'm sorry," She choked out, "No daughter should have to live without her father."
With a heavy sigh, she let the grains slip through her fingers, thankful that most of her memories from that time had been blocked out. She couldn't be that person again.
She wouldn't.
Alex couldn't believe it. Here he was.
Her real father.
In all of his glory. Tall and broad just like she had envisioned. He didn't know he was her father but it was close enough.
"That woman," He began, gulping down his nerves, "She said I was important to you, but I don't even know who you are."
Alex played with the amnesia pill in her hand, twisting it back and forth before meeting Steve's gaze.
"What do you remember?" She asked, trying to gauge what to tell him, "Before she took you?"
Steve looked deep in thought, biting his lip in frustration.
Alex wanted to laugh. At least she knew where she got that from.
"We had just saved a city," He began, pausing as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, "This woman, Diana, she had saved the entire city…" a soft smile floated over his face, "It was snowing, we were-I call it dancing-but she called it...swaying," His smile only grew wider, "She was…"
"Beautiful," Alex finished for him, drawing him back to the present, "I know this story," she smiled sadly, her heart leaping into her throat as she tried to find the right words to say, "My mom used to tell it to me every night when I was a kid, said it was the last memory she had of my father."
"Of your fath…" Steve trailed off, his eyes growing large as he moved forward, as if seeing her for the first time. "Your father?"
It was a question seeking an answer. Hopeful. He wanted a yes. He wanted to be a father.
She could see it behind the unshed tears, the wide smile on his face.
Steve Trevor, more than anything, wanted an affirmative answer to his question.
Alex nodded, letting the tears leak out. Steve's hands shook as he brought them to her face, cupping it in his hands, breath shaking as he exhaled.
"My daughter," He whispered into her hair as he pulled her into a tight embrace, "My beautiful baby girl."
She squeezed him tightly, knowing this would be the last time she ever saw him. "I love you," Alex cried into his shoulder. His embrace tightened.
"I love you too."
She pulled away, wiping the tears from her face as she fished the amnesia pill out of her pocket. "Now you're gonna have to take this," Her voice shook along with her hands, dropping it into his much larger palm, "It'll erase your short term memory," She lifted her eyes to meet his, "You won't remember any of this."
Steve looked pensive as he stared at the blue pill, "No matter what you do," He began, popping the pill in his mouth, "I'm proud of you. I'm proud to call you my daughter."
He followed the rest of them out of the ship, Gideon sending them back to their own times.
She had met her father.
He had told her he was proud of her.
He was proud to have her as a daughter.
That alone brought a smile to her face. She couldn't bring herself to worry, even when Rip had mentioned that they were headed to 2166.
It kept her up that night and when her stomach growled, she figured she may as well make breakfast for herself even if it was only three in the morning.
Turns out, she wasn't the only one who was having an awful time falling asleep.
Ray sat at the table, turning the engagement ring in his hands, a solemn look on his face.
"Hey," She drew his attention toward her, letting him know he wasn't alone, "You look like you could use some cheering up."
Ray sighed, tossing the ring across the table, "My first fiancee died because of a mistake I made, my second girlfriend left me for another man, and now my current ex is doing the same thing." He turned to face Alex, who was cooking up some scrambled eggs on the stove, "Is there something wrong with me?"
An involuntary laugh passed her lips, "Are you kidding?" Alex turned to face Ray, an incredulous look on her face, "You're the sweetest guy I've ever met and probably will ever meet, no there's nothing wrong with you,"
Ray bit the inside of his cheek as he stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets, "So why do people keep leaving? Why does everyone I love leave?"
A pensive look crossed her face as she stared at the floor. She had asked herself that same question so many times.
Over and over again until she had gone crazy with wondering.
But there was no answer. There was no reason.
"People just...leave," Alex mused, meeting Ray's solemn look, "There's not always a reason."
Ray nodded, peering over her shoulder to stare at the scrambled eggs she had been making. Unfortunately, the smell of burning food was arising from behind her, and she rushed to turn the oven off, cursing under her breath as she threw the eggs away, upset with herself for screwing up the very first dish she had ever learned.
She closed her eyes and let out a groan of embarrassment.
"Try again?" Ray quipped, a smile appearing on his face. Alex chuckled and nodded, letting him take the reins.
"So what was the big deal with you and the Time Assassin?" Ray asked. It was so casual, like they were discussing the weather.
Alex hesitated, holding the mug of hot tea near her lips but not taking a sip.
"Unless you don't wanna talk about it, which I totally-"
"No I do," She cut him off, "It's just...I blocked out that part of my life for such a long time, I don't- I don't think I remember much of it anymore."
Her face turned pensive, staring out into space. "I think- I think I was alone, my only friends were these two guys I had met in a bar," She shared a chuckle with Ray at the thought, "I had bonded with them because we had all decided to sing Super Trooper at the karaoke contest," The chuckle turned into full-blown laughter, filling the kitchen when Ray decided to join in.
"Sound like a couple of stand up guys," He joked, handing her the plate of food he had just cooked. She dug in, happy to be eating food that wasn't fabricated or that she had made.
Ray's cooking had been one of the best parts of being stranded. She had missed it.
"They weren't that bad," Alex defended, her expression turning solemn as she recalled what had happened to drive them apart, "But something happened, I don't remember what, or if I do, I blocked it out because it hurt too much, and I think...I think that just set me off. Enter the Pilgrim's dad."
Ray nodded, his gaze never leaving the woman standing across from him. "I wanted to do the same thing," He announced, "After Anna died, I just...wanted to forget everything. To block it out." He smiled, like he was recalling a fond memory, "But I couldn't. There was too much of her to love."
Alex smiled with him, "Must have been nice seeing her today,"
Ray nodded, "It was, With everything that's happened, it's just put everything in perspective," Alex watched as he stared out into the distance, the solemn look returning, "I may not be over Kendra but not marrying her, getting rejected, it was a good thing."
Alex placed her dish in the sink, her hand rubbing Ray's shoulder in comfort, "You will get over her Ray, I know you will," She sounded so confident, but she knew how hard it was to let go of someone you loved, "And then you'll find the real Mrs. Palmer, and she'll see just how special you really are."
His eyebrows creased, eyes fluttering down to the bottom half of her face, taking his hand in hers. His breath seemed to hitch, and Alex caught hers. "Alex…"
There it was again. Whispering her name like a prayer.
The space between them was growing smaller, and she knew if she didn't leave now they'd both do something they'd regret.
"I uh, I should try to get some sleep," She tore her hand from his, breaking them out of the trance.
Ray shook his head, like he was exiting a dream, "Me uh, Me too" he murmured. She walked toward the door of the kitchen, sending another smile his direction before turning on her heels and making her way back to her room.