Summary: Leonard accidentally pisses Sara off, he and Sara learn more about each other.

Chapter 5 – I Can Handle Myself

Sara walked home from a bar not too far from the apartment, she'd felt the bloodlust peek its ugly head and had wanted to drink it away before it got too bad. That of course hadn't helped so she'd left hoping the walk back would do her some good. What she really needed was a good fight, but that was out of the question. She could sense someone trailing behind her so she changed her route until she lost her follower.

She shook her head when she made it home and found Leonard outside. She thought about making a spare key and hiding it in the bushes for him many times, knowing him though he'd probably take the spare inside and she'd never see it again. Before she could tease him about being locked out she sensed her mysterious follower make his presence known. "Buddy if you don't leave right now you'll regret it." She gave him a threatening glance.

"Awe come on, is this the thanks I get for buying you a drink?" His smile was downright creepy.

So he was the sleaze who's drink she'd left untouched. Before she answered a voice spoke from beside her.

"She said piss off." Leonard stood beside her protectively.

"Whatever." The man turned around and walked off.

Her angry gaze turned to Leonard. If looks could kill he was sure he would have died a very slow and painful death. He'd never seen so much anger not even from his father. Before he could respond she entered the building shutting the door behind her locking him out. "That's what you get for being nice Snart." He looked through the glass hoping to see Sara, he hoped she wouldn't leave him out there all night, then again the death glare she'd given him said she'd never let him in again. He heard someone approaching from behind but before he could turn around his head connected with the glass. He turned around quickly looking for his assailant.

"You should've left it alone. This had nothing to do with you." The man yelled shoving Leonard against the door.

Leonard flexed and relaxed his fists. He really disliked bullies and this man was the worst kind, one that had no respect for women. He didn't need to know a lot about him to know that he was a predator. "I suggest you leave if you don't want your face rearranged." He wished he had is gun, there would be no need for talk one shot and the man would be done for. Leonard moved to the side avoiding a right hook aimed for his face. It seemed mister personality was not going anywhere.

Twenty minutes passed before Sara returned to let Leonard in. She knew she'd overreacted the minute she'd stepped into her apartment but needed the time to calm herself before she took her anger out on the wrong person. She rushed outside at the sight of blue lights. "Detective West," she moved to his cruiser, "what's going on?" She looked at Leonard who was currently cuffed and being searched.

"We received a call about a fight. We showed up and Snart here was pounding the guys face in."

"Which guy?" She asked. Detective West pointed to the man being checked out by EMS. Sara moved closer to get a better look her anger returning. "Did you ask Leonard what happened? This guy followed me home earlier." Detective West shook his head letting it hang. By the look on his face he was not happy with the situation. Sara took a deep breath. She wondered how often Leonard was blamed because of his reputation alone.

"Let Mr. Snart go." He called over his shoulder. "I'll keep you posted, if this is the guy we've been looking for then Snart did us a favor." He moved to place a hand on her shoulder but thought better of it and put his hand down. "Sorry for the confusion Mr. Snart."

Leonard said nothing, his facial expression said it all. Sara took his hand and led him away from the cops. "Let's take a look at these hands of yours." She was sure EMS hadn't bothered to check him for injuries. She led him into her apartment sitting him down on the couch. She left him there while she retrieved a first aid kit, a bowl of water and a towel.

She sat on the edge of the coffee table and worked in silence starting with the small cut on his forehead. She took his hands in hers and surveyed the damage. His left hand had little to no damage his right was bloody and bruised. She wondered how much of the blood was actually his, he'd done a number on the other guy. She set to work cleaning the blood off his hand to see the extent of his injuries.

Leonard sat still as she looked over his injuries, he could've done this himself he'd treated most of his own injuries growing up but Sara hadn't given him much of a choice in the matter and if he was honest with himself it was nice having someone else take care of his for a change, not that those words would ever leave his mouth.

"I can handle myself." She finally broke the silence her eyes never leaving his hand.

The way she said this kept him silent for some time. She sounded apologetic, guilty almost. He knew this wasn't her fault, but he didn't know how he could tell her that without making a mess of things. He watched her as she worked, her hands were steady. He was relieved she wasn't angry anymore. Instead of speaking his mind he did what he did best and that was making light of the situation. "I'll let the idiots you bring home in next time."

She laughed. "Yeah? With what key?"

He chuckled at this. She did have a point he'd been locked out of the apartment. Again.

"I don't know how he managed to find me but if it came down to it I can handle myself." She had gone out of her way to lose her follower and for a brief moment she thought she had.

"If he's who the cops think he is then he was tracking you. From what I heard from West, it's his thing. Puts a tracker on the women then follows them from the bar and kills them."

For a second Sara wished he'd tried. It would have given her reason to feed the bloodlust she'd been fighting most of the night. The reason she'd gone out for a drink in the first place. Her hands tightened and relaxed once again. "Before I died I was an assassin, when I was brought back." She started and paused, not sure how to explain or if it was a good idea at all. He gave the hand holding his up a gentle squeeze urging her to continue. "I didn't come back whole. The control I had before was stripped from me. I came back as this feral creature, an animal with the uncontrollable urge to kill. A friend of mine calls it a bloodlust." She watched his face waiting for any kind of reaction but all she received was a nod. A nod to go on, to finish her story. She gave him a small smile. "When I start fighting the bloodlust kicks in and it's very hard for me to stop myself from killing. If he'd tried anything I would have taken care of him."

Leonard now understood why she'd just ignored the man outside their apartment building. He now had a name to the look of pure rage he'd seen when she'd slammed the door in his face. Bloodlust. He wondered how someone who was constantly fighting the urge to kill could have such gentle hands.

"You know," she continued. "I envy you sometimes. You're always so calm, like nothing ever seems to bother you or you just don't let it." She looked at his hand avoiding his eyes. This had been the most she'd shared with anyone and she felt exposed.

He pulled his hand out of hers and pulled up the sleeve of his sweater exposing his forearm, revealing several scars. "I stepped in between my father and my sister one night. He would have taken the bottle to her head had I not stepped in." He pulled his sleeve back down and pulled the hem of his sweater showing her his side. "This was given to me after a bad heist. My father was an angry man. He left more marks than I can count. I swore I'd never be like him." He put his sweater back down and placed his hand back in hers. She didn't speak, she didn't have to, her eyes spoke for her. She was thankful he'd shared something so personal. He smiled and gave her fingers another squeeze.

She cleared her throat. "This doesn't look too bad, though I can't say the same about the guy out there." She nodded towards the door.

"Yeah well he was coming after you." He said coolly. That had angered him more than it should have. "Who'd let me in if you're dead."

She was amazed at how quickly he took a meaningful comment and added sarcasm to it. It was something she appreciated about him. Feelings never got too heavy with him, he always managed to steer them back to a lighter mood. "Yes because it would be oh so hard for you to have to carry your key."

"I'm a crook. I break into things. I don't need keys." He stood once she finished wrapping his knuckles. "Next time you want to get a drink to kill the urge let me know, I know a great place." He opened the door to let himself out.

"Thanks Crook." She called out after him. Sara felt better than she had in a long time. Her bloodlust forgotten for the time being.

"Don't mention it Assassin." He called over his shoulder shutting the door behind him.

AN: Up to now this has been my favorite chapter to write. This is my reasoning of why Leonard doesn't interfere in the pilot episode during the bar fight scene until Sara asks him to, he learned his lesson the first time it happened. I hope you enjoyed.