AN: The team is called for a fire at a building nearby and Sara being the reckless woman she is, gets herself in trouble. Meanwhile, she and Ava are dealing with a rupture on their fresh relationship.
Chapter 1 - From The Ashes (We Get All Our Second Chances)
It is another ordinary evening at the fire station. The team is all gathered around the table in the rec room when the alarm sounds, signaling that there is a fire in an apartment building nearby. They all quickly rise up from their seats and put on their turnout gear. When they finish, their captain addresses them in a rushed but firm voice.
"Alright, listen up! Rory, Snart and Charlie will ride with me!" Captain Ava Sharpe informs them as she leads them to one of the trucks, "Palmer, Tomaz and Heywood will ride with Lance! I'm putting her in charge, so no back talk! Understood?"
The second team nods and silently makes their way to the other truck but Sara doesn't follow them right away, instead choosing to address her Captain.
"Ava, are you sure you want me to lead them?"
"Why not? You're one of the best capable fighters I have on the team and you're also one of the best drivers, so it only makes sense."
The praise comes at her like a poison against her skin instead of giving her the reassurance she sought. She doesn't deserve them, not after how she has been treating Ava. As if whatever they had in close quarters never happened, completely erased.
"You best go now, we're wasting precious time while standing here."
Sara nods at it, shaking the annoying thoughts from her mind. She turns around but Ava's voice calls after her before she has the time to get on the truck, "And Lance?"
She sighs before turning around to face her Captain.
"Yes?" She asks rather impatiently, but the way Ava is looking at her anxiously biting her lip tears it down and replaces it with a softer resolve, "Everything okay?" She asks, even though deep down she already knows the answer. Everything is far from okay ever since she ended whatever good she was starting to build with Ava.
The taller blonde is about to say something but Palmer's voice interrupts their conversation, "Captain Sharpe?"
Ava sighs before adopting her stern and confident posture that her team has grown accustomed to everytime they're called to a scene. But Sara can see it in her eyes, there's a disguised sadness in them
She stares at Sara one more time, "Just be careful out there Lance," she says before heading to her truck.
Both teams drive with speed and efficiency, reaching the scene in no more than fifteen minutes.
As soon as they get there, they can see the area is lit up by ambulance lights streaming off the trucks. Paramedics are already working on taking care of the injured victims. Firefighters from another nearby station are also present, much to Ava's relief, since the building is seven floors tall. In a building with that many apartments, the more hands helping will only make it go faster. Her team finally pulls up as close as they can get to the scene and quickly jump out of the trucks. "Okay, start preparing the hoses while I go talk to the Captain from the other station to assess the situation so far."
She quickens her pace and calls for the fellow captain as soon as she is only a few meters from him. "Captain Hunter!"
His worried face shows a bit of relief when his eyes fall on her. "Captain Sharpe! I'm glad I can count on you and your team. We need all hands on deck, the situation isn't pretty and far from over."
Ava clenches her jaw, turning her gaze to the flames that are engulfing the landscape. She nods before returning her attention to Captain Rip Hunter. "Casualties?"
He shakes his head. "So far none, but we haven't been able to check the whole building yet."
"Do you have any idea how many residents the building houses? And how many were inside at the moment of the fire?"
He shakes his head again, this time accompanied with a frustrated sigh. "The building manager told us that at least eight people are supposed to be inside. So far we were able to get five of them out."
Ava nods at that. "Can I send my team inside?"
"Absolutely! We've checked all floors, except the second one. According to the manager, the only people left inside are a family of three living in one of the apartments. Door 201."
"Alright Rip, thank you for the info. I'll let my team know."
With that Ava turns around and regroups with her team.
"According to Captain Hunter the second floor hasn't been checked yet, so I'm gonna go inside with Lance, Mick and Palmer. The rest of you stay here and help Hunter's team put out the fire. If there aren't enough hoses left to go around, start providing first care to the victims. I also want you to be prepared in case we need your help inside, so comms stay on for the duration of the call."
They all nod before dispersing to carry out their orders, leaving Ava with the three members of the team who are joining her inside. "To my knowledge, there's a family of three left, so we only need to find the one apartment. Now grab the hoses and let's go!"
With that, the teams proceed to follow out the orders that are second nature by now. Captain Sharpe decides on an initial offensive attack consisting of a 2 hose-line entry team going into the closed apartment after they breach the door. For that they divide into two teams of two: she and Palmer take charge of the low pressure/high flow spray branch while Rory and Lance are in charge of the second hose that maintains a solid stream.
When she deems it safe enough to enter, Ava signals for Mick to follow her and they start searching for the residents. "This is Captain Sharpe from the Star City Fire Department. Please shout if you can hear me!" she calls as they reach what seems to be the living room.
"We're over here! Please help!" Ava hears desperate cries coming from her left and informs Lance and Palmer to move further into the apartment. Once she steps in the kitchen area she sees a couple barricaded behind the kitchen island. She quickly makes her way to them and kneels down, addressing them with the calmest voice she can muster despite her nerves and hurry. "My team and I are here to help. We're going to get you two out of here but first I need to know if there's anyone else inside?"
The woman doesn't answer, too shaken up to formulate a sentence. The man – who Ava supposes is her husband – speaks for them both. "Our son… He… He was in his room when it happened… Oh God… He's only seven, he can't…" He stutters painfully with pure fear clouding his eyes. Ava tries not to let her emotions affect her, instead focusing on rescuing the child.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna locate your son. In the meantime, we need to get you both out of here safely," she reassures them before turning to Mick. "Take the parents out of the apartment quickly, I'm gonna get the kid. Take Palmer to help you."
Mick nods and grunts in understanding, waiting for the parents to follow him. As soon as he and Palmer check that the hallway is all clear, they keep walking until they are outside on the street with the couple out of danger and receiving care from the paramedics.
Five minutes later, their eyes land on Lance and Captain Sharpe making their way out, with Sharpe carrying what seems to be the missing seven year old boy in her arms. She hurries toward a couple of paramedics and starts speaking.
"Seven year old boy found unconscious, possibly from prolonged smoke inhalation. I checked for burns and found none."
One of the paramedics nods before turning his full attention to the victim, "Thank you, Captain, we'll take it from here."
Ava nods back and returns to Mick and Palmer, "How are the parents holding up?"
"They inhaled a bit of smoke but other than that they seem fine. Worried about their son of course," Palmer informs her while Mick grunts his agreement.
"That's good to hear. I guess that's everyone then," she says before turning to face the building. "The fire seems to be almost out which is great. I'm gonna check with Captain Hunter one more time to make sure it's safe for us to return to the station."
She is so concentrated on her conversation with her men that she doesn't notice another conversation happening a few meters from her.
A desperate woman approaches Sara and the rest of her teammates. "My daughter is still inside, please you have to save her!" the woman pleads and Sara frowns at her. "Ma'am, we got everyone out already. I'm sure she's around here somewhere."
The woman shakes her head profusely. "No, you don't get it. I was working late and just got here! She's not answering her phone! If she was safe, she would pick up! Please, you have to do something!" She insists while gripping Sara's arms tightly.
Sara doesn't know what prompts her to make such a reckless decision, but in a matter of seconds she is nodding at the woman and making her way back inside the building.
"Lance, wait! You don't have your mask on!" She hears Tomaz yell after her but chooses to ignore it, her mind solely focused on finding the victim.
Ava's attention is pulled from her conversation when she hears one member of her team screaming. She quickly makes her way over.
"What the hell happened?"
"Lance went in without her safety mask!" Heywood informs his Captain and receives a frown in return.
"She went after a girl who was left behind." Tomaz adds, trying to justify her friend's actions.
"That doesn't make any sense! All the residents were already brought to safety. We counted them all." Ava tells them with a frown.
"Apparently not. That woman over there was screaming that her daughter is still inside." Palmer informs his Captain, indicating with his head to the clearly upset woman.
Ava makes her way over. "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm Captain Sharpe from the Star City Fire Department. You informed my team that your daughter is still inside. Are you sure that's absolutely true?"
The woman, now in tears, keeps affirming it. "I'm sure. I can't find her anywhere and-"
The woman cuts herself off as she spots someone behind Ava, making her way past the captain and throwing herself into her mother's loving arms.
"Mom! Thank God I finally found you! I'm so sorry, but my phone was left behind, I couldn't reach you and then-"
"It's okay honey, I'm just glad you're safe and sound!" The woman says as she holds on tight to her daughter.
Ava's heart starts beating quicker, her only thought to get Sara out of the damn building. She doesn't even hear the woman's apology as she races to her team, struggling to breathe. Ava uses the comms to attempt to intercept her team member. "Lance, there's no one left inside, it was a misunderstanding! I want you out of the building now!"
She waits, but there is no response. Her mind starts conjuring the worst possible outcomes and forces her hand. She turns to her team. "I'm going in again! Lance isn't answering!" Ava tells them as she takes a deep breath. "Heywood and Mick inside with me, now! The rest of you be prepared to offer medical assistance as soon as we get her out of there!"
The Captain runs inside, calling Sara's name through the smoke. She turns her head back for a couple of seconds addressing her team members. "Have the hoses ready!"
She faces ahead once again, going through the first floor hallway. "Lance, this is your Captain! Please answer!" Ava calls before whispering to herself, "Where the hell are you?"
"Ava." She hears a faint call from Sara and her raging heart calms down slightly. "Pl-please hurry…" Her voice sounds strained. Ava is sure the sound came from her right, so she informs Mick and Heywood. They make their way to the first door to their right, entering it when they make sure it's safe.
"Living room…" Ava hears Sara's faint voice again before all that can be heard are the flames roaring and the alarms blasting.
The Captain approaches the area, and her eyes go wide as she sees the barrier of fire separating them from Sara.
"Guys! Hoses, now! I can't get to Lance!"
"Right away!" Heywood nods as he and Mick point the water hoses at the flames, attacking them until they start diminishing enough for Ava to go through the makeshift path. As soon as she reaches Sara across the living room, her heart skips a beat at the sight of her. Sara is almost completely unconscious. She swallows down her nerves and takes a quick breath, trying to clear her head before addressing the two men. "I'm gonna pick up Lance and transport her to safety as quickly as possible, so I need you to guide me through the smoke and flames!"
"Very well Captain, let's get out of here!"
Once they are in the clear, Ava rushes to her team members, placing Sara on the gurney already on the floor ready for her. She starts to speak while applying chest compressions. "She was barely conscious when I found her, she must have inhaled a lot of smoke. I couldn't check for burns and- I should've checked on her before, when we went in the first time- why didn't I-"
A hand touches Ava's shoulder. "Captain, let Tomaz and I take care of her. You've already done enough." Snart tells her, pressing an oxygen mask to Sara's face.
Ava looks at him with panic, her hands still against Sara's chest. She swallows before nodding and stepping aside slowly. Tomaz kneels down next to her and places her own hands where Ava's had been just seconds ago, restarting the chest compressions.
The Captain pulls back and sits down on the hard ground next to Sara. She takes off her hat and mask, holding her breath while never once looking away from the scene in front of her. She needs Sara to be okay, needs her to open her eyes. Ava still has so much to tell her. Their time together had been too damn short. She is greedy for more, needing more of the woman's smug smile and teasing smirk. And above all, she needs the lazy mornings waking up next to her, when Sara's blue eyes are so openly sincere and bright with a fondness that leaves Ava melting and aching for more. They were getting on so well, why did it end so abruptly? It had been weeks since Sara had been in her bed. She needs to know, craves to know where it all fell apart. Because not knowing for certain is destroying her little by little.
But that is a problem for later, because right now all that matters is that Sara makes it through. She has to. Part of Ava believes that she will fight and wake up soon, but the other half of her, the half that can't bear to lose Sara so suddenly, is very much afraid.
Her teammates' voices bring her out of her dark thoughts, and she uses the moment to focus on controlling her anxiety. It won't do her team any good if their Captain can't function because of fear. So she keeps calm and hopeful while they work on bringing Sara back.
Sara's father once told her that when you're having a near-death experience your whole life flashes before your eyes. Your birth, your childhood, the struggles of your teenage years and adulthood. He had experienced it one time when he got shot on the job before closing his eyes as his body succumbed to a comma. Thankfully it only lasted three days, and he returned to duty after a tense recovery. Sara had always been a bit of a sceptic about the so-called experience, thinking that he probably exaggerated. But now, as she is the one fighting for her life, she realizes how wrong she had been. Because she did see them, those fragments of her life. She saw how her mom had kissed the pain away every time she scraped her knee playing soccer with her dad at their backyard. She saw the time she had a huge fight with her sister because of some stupid boy who couldn't care less about both of them. She saw the moment she started college and then graduated top of her class, the looks of pride on her parents and sister's faces more present than ever.
And then… Then she sees it, there she is. Captain Ava Sharpe, congratulating Sara and the other new recruits who had just gotten into the station with a stern yet inspiring welcome. Sara had thought she was probably the most infuriating, smug, beautiful and strong woman she had ever laid her eyes upon. Her adaptation period at the station wasn't easy. Most of the time Sara spent it struggling to accept her orders without a smug retort, both their stubborn personalities conflicting. But soon enough, she couldn't pinpoint exactly when, Sara's frustration started to mold into respect and admiration for her captain. Their glares morphed to shy stolen glances here and there, a sheepish smile matching them. She started to crave for a certain pair of grey-blues to notice her and hold her gaze.. She found herself hoping to work closely with Ava, following her orders and requests without question, earning Sara the praise she so desperately sought after.
And so it began. They started hanging out outside of the fire station, sometimes with the whole team all together, but other times simply by themselves. Going out for dinner after working a hard but rewarding shift to celebrate, but losing track of time in deep conversations about the parts of themselves that they wouldn't tell anyone else about.
Then dinners became whole nights spent together discovering and rediscovering each other's bodies, enveloped in the silky sheets of Ava's bed. Sara swears she had never felt such a fire of emotions for another person. She had had her fair share of passionate one night stands where the nightly hours were meant for sex instead of sleeping. But somehow, it was different with Ava. She knew deep down that what they had wasn't just a meaningless fling, a pair of lovers caught up in the moment. Ava saw right through her sturdy and raised walls whenever their eyes would cross. She would never let go while she was touching Sara. Sara always felt like she could let go of all of the things holding her back because her Captain would be there to catch her if need be. And that kind of deep connection, that kind of need, were what eventually made her pull back. She had to put an end to it before it became too serious, before she became too attached to the pleasant feeling of relying blindly on someone. Before anyone could get hurt.
So, even if it felt like her heart was being ripped apart, she started denying the requests for late night dinners, avoiding being in the same room alone with her Captain and skipping out on a few team hangouts as well.
However, in her current state between life and death, Sara realizes with a painful start that this is not how she wants it to go. She doesn't want this kind of end for herself, for them.
It is too soon to let go of what she and Ava had been building. She is not ready to say goodbye yet. She needs to know all of Ava, needs to know about everything that molded and shaped her into the wonderful woman she is today. She craves for something more, a deeper knowledge, and she needs it now. She needs Ava to know that she cares about her, and that she was a major idiot in ever thinking that she was doing the right thing by pushing her away.
So she fights, fights against the way her body starts to grow limp, begging her to let go and rest in peace. But Sara knows that she can't, not yet. She gathers her strength one more time, pushing against all odds as she urges her body and her mind to be stronger and work together in bringing her back.
And then she finally hears it, a faint calling of her name in the distance, too far for her to reach.
"Sara!" A voice she would recognize anywhere cries out again, this time louder, "Sara! Sara please open your eyes! Don't do this to me, please…" The sobbed words leave Sara's heart aching, and she suddenly feels a spark igniting her whole body. She clings to the pressure of the hands on her chest one last time before opening her eyes. Struggling to reach the surface, she takes in a rushed breath while panic starts to settle in. A hand applying gentle pressure on her chest calms her, and she reaches her own hand up to wrap it around a wrist. Her Captain's wrist. Her Captain whose usually fiery eyes are now filled with nothing but worry and disbelief. A tear rolls down Ava's cheek, and Sara lifts up her free hand to wipe it away. She tries to speak but the shake of Ava's head stops her.
"Don't exert yourself, just focus on breathing properly. Please." The Captain pleads, her voice cracking at the end as her other hand goes up to cup Sara's cheek, stroking it gently.
She hears someone clear their throat and looks to her left to see her colleagues standing there. Tomaz is the one speaking. "Captain, we should take Lance to the ambulance and get her to the hospital as soon as possible."
Ava sniffles as she wipes at her face. "Yes, of course. I will ride with her," she says as she gets up and waits for the paramedics to take Sara inside the vehicle. She then turns around to address the rest of her team. "Thank you all for your effort and good work today. You can either head back to the station or come to the hospital after you're finished here. I'll understand if you're tired and need to call it a night, so it is up to you." She finishes with a small smile and a nod, making her way to the ambulance.
When Sara wakes up, she is in a room with white walls and the tell-tale smell of disinfectant, which she immediately associates with a hospital. She looks down at her arms and hands, checking for burns. Her lips curve into a small smile when she sees none. A small movement catches her eye, and she turns her head to the chair on her left. Her eyes widen in surprise when they fall on her Captain's sleeping form.
"Ava…" She cringes at the rasp in her voice, looking around for a glass of water. She finds it on the bedside table by her right side and picks it up, gulping it all down in one go. She clears her throat before trying again, "Ava?"
No reaction. She calls louder. "Aves, wake up."
The other woman starts to stir and Sara smiles when grey-blue eyes are finally gazing at her. "Hey there, sleepy-head."
A shift occurs in Ava's eyes as the sleepy calmness turns into a storm of panic. Sara immediately stretches her left hand out and motions for her Captain to take it. "Hey, it's okay."
Ava shakes her head as she gets up from the chair, holding Sara's hand in hers while her free hand settles on a freckled cheek. "You are an idiot, Sara Lance."
Sara chuckles at her harmless words. "Way to kick someone who's already down," she replies with mirth in her voice.
The Captain lets out a sobbed laugh before continuing. "Why did you have to be so reckless, Sara? I thought I was going to lose you. I was so scared, I don't know what-"
Sara's free hand comes up and tugs Ava's head down, placing a gentle kiss against her lips. The Captain's first instinct is to step away, but she quickly lets herself relish the feeling of Sara's mouth against hers. When they part, Sara keeps their foreheads resting against each other.
"What are you doing?" Ava whispers, afraid to open her eyes and realize it was all a dream.
"Something I should never have stopped doing," Sara replies, leaning back so she can look Ava in the eyes. Her hands cup Ava's face, her thumbs stroking her soft skin. "I'm sorry I pushed you away Ava, I was a coward."
"Sara, don't-"
Sara smiles up at her. "Please let me finish, Aves."
Ava blushes at the nickname. She had grown quite fond of it, especially when it came out of Sara's mouth, but the sudden use of it throws her a little. She nods for Sara to continue.
"As I was saying, I pushed you away, and I shouldn't have. I've never had something as real and pure as what I had with you, and that's what made me step back," she tells her, reaching for Ava's hand before squeezing it gently. She takes a deep breath before continuing, "The thought of ever screwing up and losing that deep connection between us scared me to no end. Because let's face it, I'm a screw-up when it comes to relationships. So I thought it was best to just end it before I got too attached to it."
Ava hums and casts her eyes down to their joined hands. She stays in silence for a few seconds before asking, "And did it work? Pushing me away?"
Sara lets out a humorless laugh that has Ava raising her head to look her in the eyes again. "Far from it," Sara tells her shaking her head. "It just numbed me and made me feel empty. I can't believe I needed to go through a near-death experience to realize it," she adds as tears start to form in her eyes. Ava frowns, wiping Sara's tears away.
"What do you mean?"
Sara shrugs her shoulders before shaking her head. "It's stupid, forget it."
Ava cups her face, bringing it to her level so she can look her in the eyes. "You can tell me Sara, you know you can tell me anything."
Sara swallows the lump in her throat while she lets Ava's words sink in. After a couple of beats of silence, she nods. "Do you know how some people believe that you see your whole life flash before your eyes right before you die?" Ava nods and smiles reassuringly, hoping to give Sara the will to continue. Sara stays silent for a while, seemingly torn between speaking or not saying any more. When she doesn't say anything, Ava leans in to press a gentle kiss against her forehead. "Whatever it is, just tell me."
"I saw you…" Sara whispers as her eyes flutter closed, "I saw the first time we met, the stupid fights we had at the beginning because I was too stubborn to accept your orders-"
Ava chuckles lightly at that. "You really were a pain in the ass. A beautiful, fiery mess."
Sara smiles fondly at the description and nods. "I know… Then I saw-" she cuts herself off with a sigh.
"It's okay, just take your time." Ava whispers before laying a kiss on her temple.
"I saw our dinners and late night conversations, talking about anything and everything. And then I saw us at your apartment, during our first time and the ones that would soon follow, wrapped in each other's bodies. Nights spent awake making love, giving in to our desires."
"Sara…"
"Yeah?"
Ava leans back, her eyes open and shining with such a fragility that it has Sara's heart aching.
"I miss you so much. I miss waking up to your beautiful eyes looking down at me and your warm body next to mine." Ava says with a crack in her voice.
Sara nods her head vehemently. "I miss you too Aves, very much. I miss hearing your easy and carefree laughter in the morning and your soft lips against my neck," she admits as she grazes her nose against Ava's, their mouths only a breath apart.
"I want to try this again Sara, whatever this is between us," Ava whispers and her warm breath send shivers down Sara's spine.
"So do I, Aves. I don't wanna waste any more time." She tells her, slowly locking their lips together in a gentle but passionate kiss.
AN: Hope you enjoyed your reading! I sure had a lot of fun writing it ;) As always, comments are appreciated!