Gideon marched through the corridors of the Bureau towards Bennett's office.

"Ms Carter," he appeared in front of her, a look of superiority covering his face, "You have heard what happened I assume."

Folding her arms across her chest she nodded, "I heard."

"Then you understand why he is under arrest," Bennett noted.

"Explain it to me," she snapped.

Bennett frowned, "Director Hunter is responsible for the death of several agents on a mission that was unauthorised."

"That is peculiar," Gideon replied, remaining completely calm despite her anger, "As I know I saw your agreement to send a team to back him up on this mission with your full support. Or are my computer skills failing me all of a sudden?"

"Ms Carter," he stated coldly, "I suggest you return to work otherwise I will be forced to have someone remove you."

Gideon glared back at him, "And I am here to see my husband. Or have you not checked his legal next of kin recently?"

She was pleased to see him look uncertain at her statement.

"You're telling me that you're married?" Bennett demanded before scoffing, "How very convenient. Especially as he does not wear a ring or made any mention of this at all."

Showing the ring on her finger, Gideon shrugged, "It was nobody else's business, Director. But I can assure you that if you check the records you will find we have been married for some time now."

A soft cough came from the woman sitting at the desk behind Bennett.

"Yes, Agent Jones?" Bennett snapped at the interruption.

She handed Bennett the tablet who stared at it for several minutes as if trying to find a way to prove the information in front of him was fake.

"As you can see I'm telling the truth," Gideon stated, "And I want to see my husband. Now."

x

Rip looked up when the door opened, relieved to see Gideon appear.

"You have ten minutes," Bennett stated before closing the door behind her.

The moment they were alone she wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm sorry I let them take you."

"I told you to," Rip whispered sadly, "I guess I never expected…"

Gideon rested her hand on his cheek as he trailed off, stung by the Legends turning him over to Bennett as well as Ava backing the other Director.

"Director Bennett is using this to take over," Gideon told him, "Just as you predicted."

Rip rested his forehead against hers, "You don't have to worry, when the board agreed to let this play out I spoke to Abigail Spencer. She won't let him do anything to you. They need you here for the ships and the AIs. Bennett knows it."

"He is going to put you on trial, he will try to turn everyone against you," Gideon whispered, "Just as Agent Sharpe already has."

Rip sighed, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "I know you don't want to hear this but I need you to take some time away."

"Rip…"

"I need you, after this trial Bennett is putting together, to visit Eve for a few weeks," he continued, "You can't be here. Promise me."

Gideon nodded, "I promise. I won't be here when you…" she trailed off and whispered in his ear, "Escape."

"I love you," Rip told her as the door opened again.

Kissing him Gideon sighed, "I love you too."


Gideon walked slowly up to the apartment that felt cold and lonely without Rip. She had done as he'd asked after the ridiculous trial Bennett put together, where Rip tried to get the other man and his supporters to understand the magnitude of the danger Mallus posed to everything.

During it all she was grateful Rip had 'married' her. It protected her from Bennett's quest where he dragged almost everyone who had even talked to Rip to testify. Her dislike of Bennett intensified throughout the entire process.

Staying with Eve for the few weeks after had definitely been the best thing as it meant she was nowhere near the Bureau when Rip decided he'd had enough of the prison they'd put him in.

What was worse was he hadn't contacted her at all since he'd escaped. She knew he was protecting her, but time was ticking away until she lost him forever and Gideon wanted to spend as much time with him as possible until that day.

Opening the door she was surprised when a blast of air and electricity passed her, zipping around the room before leaving again. Confused she looked along the corridor frowning to see it was empty. Entering the apartment carefully Gideon stopped finding a dozen red roses sitting on the table along with a card.

She lifted the note which simply said, 'Truly' and Gideon smiled. Rip was with Wally West and would be home soon.

x

News travelled quickly through the Bureau, Director Bennett was dead. Killed by Grodd and Agent Sharpe was now Director Sharpe.

But she had also returned with former Director Hunter.

Not caring who was watching Gideon pushed her way through the people standing there listening to Ava talk about Bennett's passing and explain the new hierarchy. Rip stood silently at one side. Never one for public displays of affection he simply wrapped his arm around her shoulders the moment she reached him and held her close while the new Director talked.

"Dismissed," Ava stated finally. She waited for a few moments before turning to them, "Agent Hunter, you should go home and get some rest. We can discuss your reinstatement tomorrow."

Gideon stared at the woman who shifted uncomfortably before Rip started her moving. They walked in silence as they left the Bureau Offices and stayed that way until they reached the apartment.

"You got my flowers," Rip said softly seeing the roses sitting on the table.

Gideon frowned at him, "Why have you not taken back your position? The board will reinstate you now you have been proven right."

Rip sighed, "Because I'm not finished. I need the freedom to go after Mallus which being the Director isn't going to let me."

"And the board are happy about this?" Gideon demanded.

"They know it's necessary," Rip replied softly, he touched her chin tilting her head up so she would look at him, "I missed you."

Gideon let out an annoyed sigh, "That's unfair. Using the fact we've been apart for so long to get out of a disagreement."

"Is it working?" Rip asked with a smile as he gently slid his hand up and down her back, "It is, isn't it?"

Smiling slightly Gideon noted, "We will talk about this."

"Later," Rip breathed his lips brushing hers.

Wrapping her arms around him Gideon surrendered to his kiss, she didn't have much time with him left.


Gideon lay staring at the clock beside her, slowly watching time tick away. This was it, the day she had dreaded for five years had arrived and she wanted to tell him what was to come. She wanted to explain everything to him and stop him from leaving.

But she knew that even if she told him, Rip would go anyway.

He had tried in the past to stop an event that was always going to happen, he had tried to stop Miranda and Jonas being taken from him and, in the end, they couldn't be saved.

He would go because he had already done it. Besides telling him could change how he would react and that could destroy the timeline.

Turning over she watched him sleep, something she had done many times for many years.

"Is something bothering you?" Rip asked, his eyes still closed.

"I can't sleep," Gideon replied softly.

Letting out a long sigh he opened his eyes, "Do you want to tell me why?"

Gideon wanted to, she opened her mouth to tell him but instead kissed him because these were their last few hours together.

"What's wrong?" Rip whispered worriedly, "You've been off the past few days. What's bothering you?"

Closing her eyes, Gideon sighed, "I was just…I dreamt you were still gone."

Hugging her tightly Rip murmured, "I'm here. I promise I won't leave again."

"Don't promise that," she cried anguished, "We both know you can't."

"Gideon…"

Placing a finger on his lips to stop him speaking, she whispered, "Just promise me that you are here with me now."

Confused Rip nodded and kissed her again, Gideon pulled him close losing herself in his arms and forgetting for a while what was looming on the horizon.

x

They lay together as the sun rose, Gideon gently playing with the small Waverider pendant he wore for her as Rip drew his fingers up and down her spine. It was a position they'd relaxed in together so many times over the years and Gideon wished she could freeze time to stay like this forever.

Far too soon the alarm sounded and Rip sighed, "I have to get ready to go."

"I know," Gideon whispered, cuddling closer to him.

"Gideon," he murmured, "It won't be for much longer. I promise that once this is finished we can spend some time far away from everything. Just us."

Taking one final kiss Gideon let him leave their bed. She lay staring at the ceiling listening to him to have his shower, desperately holding herself together.

When he was ready to leave Gideon forced herself to give him a smile, "I'm not due in till this afternoon. I have some things to do this morning."

Rip kissed her, not knowing it was their final kiss before he left to go on the mission that would take him back to the Waverider, that would lead him to sacrificing his life.

The moment he left their apartment Gideon pulled his pillow to her and, hugging it tightly, began to sob.

"Goodbye, Captain."

x

Rip started towards the engine room of the Waverider realising that Gideon had known from the second she appeared in front of his apartment that this moment would come. He now understood her strange behaviour over the past few days.

As the AI version of Gideon told him his odds of surviving, Rip sighed hating that he was leaving her twice in one day.

"I will miss you, Gideon," Rip told her before adding a final message to her future self, the woman he had left in the apartment they'd shared for five years. One word that had come to mean so much to them, "Truly."

"No more than I will miss you," Gideon replied the affection she had for him in her AI form filling her voice, "Rip."

Taking the core from the ship to face Mallus, Rip removed the chain he wore that held the symbols representing the vows he'd made to the two women he loved. Sliding his wedding band on for the first time in years, he placed Miranda's ring on the pinkie finger beside it while holding the small pendant of the Waverider in his hand. Keeping them close to him to give him the courage to do what he had to.

He had always admired Gideon's strength, whether as an AI or the woman he had loved for the last few years. But knowing now exactly what she had kept secret from him for all this time, what she had never revealed to him and never tried to change he was overwhelmed by how incredible she was.

Watching the Demon before him trying to fight against the energy from the core Rip took a deep breath, feeling the psychic imprint of Gideon's love for him on the small pendant giving him strength and let the light take him.