Jonas gripped his Rip's hand tightly as they walked into the room where a woman waited smiling at them.
"Mrs Weaver," Rip greeted the woman offering his free hand, "Thank you for meeting us."
"Mr Hunter," she replied shaking his hand with a smile before turning to the woman with him, "Clarissa, it's lovely to see you again."
"And you, Julia," Clarissa replied genuinely.
The woman smiled back before she looked down at the little boy, "And you must be Jonas."
Jonas nodded as he pressed shyly against Rip's leg.
"Welcome to the Westbrook School," Weaver stated motioning them to take a seat, "I will admit that we rarely take such late admissions for our next semester but when Clarissa called and asked if I would consider Jonas then I couldn't say no."
Rip winced slightly when Jonas wouldn't let him go so pulled his son onto his lap.
"So," Weaver said, "From what I've been told you are very good at making things, Jonas."
Jonas nodded as he leaned back against his father still looking very unsure.
"Well," she looked up and motioned a young blonde woman to join them, "This is Ms Meadows and she's going to ask you to look at some things in the other room while I talk to your father and Mrs Stein."
"Grandma," Jonas corrected softly making Rip and Clarissa smile.
Weaver looked at Clarissa interested before nodding at him, "Grandma, of course."
Jonas looked at the younger woman before looking up at Rip questioningly.
"I will be right here. You'll be able to see me," Rip promised, "Okay?"
After a few moments Jonas nodded and slid off Rip's lap walking out with the other woman into the room next door. Rip watched as Jonas sat in a big chair and the woman started talking to him.
"It's just some tests," Weaver explained to him, "Very informal so we can see if he would flourish here or if another school would be better suited for him."
Rip glanced at Clarissa who nodded to assure him it was fine.
"So, Mr Hunter," Weaver turned her attention to him, "Clarissa told me you've just moved to Central City. Was this for work?"
Rip swallowed before replying, "My wife died recently. Since we had no family back in England I decided to move to where I had friends who would help Jonas through her loss."
"That makes sense," she nodded.
"Clarissa recommended here as this is where her own daughter studied," Rip told her, "Considering how well Lily has done I hoped that Jonas might find a place here."
They chatted some more until Jonas ran back in about twenty minutes later, "Daddy."
Rip caught him and gave him a quick hug, "Did you have fun?"
Jonas nodded, "Miss Meadows was nice and we played games."
"Good," Rip smiled, nodding at the younger woman, "Say goodbye for now."
Jonas turned to the two women and gave them a shy goodbye while gripping Rip's hand tightly as they left.
Cisco looked up briefly when Rip walked into the lab explaining quickly, "Meta attack downtown."
"Where's Caitlin?" Rip asked worriedly.
"I have it," the woman in question called as she arrived in the lab, "Barry?"
"Yeah," Barry's reply came over the speakers.
"You need to get him into saltwater," Caitlin told him, "It should neutralise him."
"Where am I meant to get saltwater in the middle of the city?" Barry demanded, "Or get him to the ocean when I can't touch him?"
Rip joined Cisco looking at the map of the city in front of them, "What about Wally? Where is he?"
"In Star City with friends," Cisco shrugged.
Rip frowned musing, "Alright, Barry there is a restaurant close to you which will have plenty of salt and should have enough containers to make up what you need."
Cisco nodded, "Sounds good."
"Caitlin," Barry called, "Do the quantities matter or can I just put a lot of salt in a bucket of water?"
Caitlin shrugged, "It might take some experimentation."
"Thanks" Barry called back.
They waited watching the screens in front of them seeing Barry tossing buckets of water on the meta-human. Finally the police had the man in custody and Barry arrived back.
"Well that was a fun morning," Barry grimaced, wincing as Cisco marched towards him.
"What did you do to my suit?" he demanded.
Barry rolled his eyes, "It's just a few holes. Next time you can fight the meta."
Rip chuckled as Caitlin smiled before Barry changed quickly handing the suit to Cisco who studied it with a grimace.
"How did the meeting at the school go?" Barry asked.
Rip shrugged, "It seemed to go well. They did some tests on Jonas and will let us know in a few days."
"Where is he?" Caitlin asked.
"Clarissa took him for lunch and then the park," Rip replied, a lot more relaxed than he had been a few weeks before about letting his son out of his sight, "I have some things to do for the house today."
"It's amazing that you got it sorted so quickly," Barry noted.
Rip nodded, "Thanks to the Felicity and the lawyer she brought in to help."
"So you're getting your apartment back soon?" Caitlin asked Cisco.
"Next week," Rip answered for him, "I'm hoping Barry might help painting a few of the rooms this weekend."
Barry held up his hand, "If there is cake."
"Wow, you're cheap," Cisco chuckled.
Caitlin chuckled, "Are you needing any help this afternoon, Rip?"
"If you don't mind," he smiled, "It would be appreciated."
x
Caitlin looked at the two options before her and frowned.
"I know," Rip said from her side, "But Gideon disagrees with my choices and a third opinion would be helpful."
She smiled slightly looking up at him, "Sorry, Rip but I have to agree with Gideon. I like the red plates. The white ones are just a bit plain and you know Jonas likes colour."
He grimaced, "You know I'm not going to hear the end of this, don't you?"
Caitlin laughed watching him pick up the box of plates and bowls before placing it in the cart, "What's next?"
"Cutlery, mugs and cookware," he replied.
Caitlin nodded and they started through the store, "So, how are you feeling about the move?"
"Not as worried as I thought I would be," Rip told her, "I am looking forward to not having to share with Jonas. I love my son but he seems to dance in his sleep and I have more bruises from being kicked by him during his sleep than I did the last year I worked as a Time Master."
Caitlin chuckled.
"I also think Cisco is looking forward to getting Gideon out," he told her, "They argue about movies a lot."
"Actually I think he likes having the company," Caitlin told him, "When he lost his brother Cisco sort of pulled away from us. I think having you and Jonas there to teach movies to each night helped him a lot."
x
Rip was surprised how enjoyable looking for essentials for the house was. Gideon had made him a list and several suggestions to help because again it was something he'd never done before. During one of his visits home Miranda had made him come with her to buy some things for Jonas and he remembered how nice it had been to do something so ordinary with her.
The week before he'd decided to buy beds for both himself and Jonas. It had turned into a group activity with Cisco, Caitlin, Iris and Barry accompanying him. At one point the five of them were lying squashed on a bed trying to decide if it was more comfortable than the one they'd just tried and Rip began to laugh.
It had been a long time since he'd laughed like that for no reason. He smiled and laughed around Jonas because his son made the world so much brighter but it had been so long since he'd laughed for absolutely no reason at all.
His laughter started the other four and they lay there chuckling away while getting strange looks from the staff and other customers.
Lily Stein opened the door to her parents' house smiling at the smell of home baking that instantly hit her. Sliding off her coat she hung it up walking quietly to the kitchen to surprise her mother. Just before she reached the kitchen the door burst open, a little boy with blond hair and blue eyes came running out giggling followed a moment later by a man who stalled when he saw her.
For a brief moment Lily thought she might be in the wrong house before the man called in an English accent, "Clarissa, I believe you have a visitor."
Her mother appeared and a joyful grin covered her face, "Lily," she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter, "You're back early."
"Hi, Mom," Lily smiled as she was squeezed tightly, "I caught an earlier flight."
When her mother finally let her go Lily turned waiting for an introduction. The little boy was now in the man's arms looking at her with a thoughtful stare.
"Lily, this is Rip Hunter and his son Jonas," her mother introduced, "Rip, Jonas this is my daughter, Lily."
"It's nice to meet you both," Lily smiled pausing for a moment when she suddenly recognised the man's name.
"And you," Rip said softly his eyes focussed on her intently.
The boy wriggled out of his father's arms and moved to Lily, "Hello."
"Hello," she crouched down to him.
"We're making cookies," he told her, "Do you want to help us decorate them?"
"Why don't you go with Grandma," Rip said before Lily could answer, "I would like to speak with Lily for a moment."
Lily chewed her lip for a second before his words hit her, "Grandma?"
"I'll explain later, dear," her mother said before she took the little boy's hand leading him back into the kitchen.
x
Lily walked into the other room further from the kitchen as she was sure she knew exactly what he was about to say.
"I'm guessing you're no longer missing," Lily said before he could speak, "My dad and the others were worried about you."
Rip nodded, "They know exactly where I am now."
"Good," she smiled.
"Miss Stein," he paused before saying, "Lily, I was the one who recruited your father to travel through time meaning I know his entire history."
"And I didn't exist when you recruited him," she replied tightly.
"No, you didn't," he said softly, "One of my duties as a Time Master was to find and remove aberrations."
Lily stared at him trying not to sound as nervous as she felt, "And?"
"The others don't realise but Gideon updated me on absolutely everything that happened while I was...away," Rip told her, a slight smile touching his lips, "You have nothing to worry about. Your existence does not alter the timeline in a way that it would need to be changed back."
She frowned at him, "So you were..."
"Putting your mind at ease," he told her, "I saw the moment you heard my name what you were thinking."
"You might want to work on being comforting," Lily frowned at him.
x
Rip smiled when they returned to the kitchen to find Jonas covered in icing as he slathered more on one of the cookies they'd made. Crouching down he hugged his son kissing his sugar-covered cheek.
"Is everything alright?" Clarissa asked them.
Lily glanced at him before answering, "Its fine, Mom. Though someone was going to explain the Grandma thing?"
"Your mother adopted us," Rip replied as he picked up some icing and began to decorate the cookies with his son.
"Well I guess that makes me your new aunt," Lily said to Jonas who grinned at her.
"Are you like Iris or Caitlin?" Jonas asked.
Lily looked at her mother and the boy's father confused, "I'm not sure."
Jonas rolled his eyes at her being silly, "Do you like science?"
"Yes," Lily nodded.
"Then you're like Caitlin," Jonas told her with a nod, "Iris doesn't like science but she's still fun sometimes."
Rip chuckled to himself as Lily smiled at the little boy before she joined them decorating the cookies.
x
Rip sat in the garden with his mug of tea listening to the sounds of his friends setting up a board game.
"I thought I would find you out here," Clarissa said taking the seat across from him.
Rip shrugged, "Just looking for a moment of peace."
"So, tomorrow is the big move," she mused watching him carefully, "How do you feel?"
Holding his mug to his chest he sighed, "A little apprehensive," he smiled slightly, "Don't get me wrong I am looking forward to getting Jonas settled properly at last but this is it I am staying here."
"Is it a bad thing?"
"No," Rip confessed, "I am finding that I'm happy here. The others have become..." he glanced back into the house were Barry was tickling Jonas who was climbing on Cisco to get away, "I'm having a hard time imagining life without you all in it now. I know I couldn't handle everything with Jonas on my own."
Clarissa reached out and squeezed his hand, "You don't have to."
He smiled at her, "Are you sure you don't mind keeping him tomorrow while I get everything sorted?"
"You should know by now that I am always happy to have Jonas with me," Clarissa told him.
Rip nodded, "I love that he calls you Grandma. I want him to have the family I never did growing up."
"We may not be a conventional one," Clarissa laughed, "But we are his family now and yours."
"Come on," Cisco shouted from the other room, "We're ready to start."
Standing Rip offered his hand to Clarissa who hugged him when she stood before they rejoined the rest of the group.
Thanks to ams75 for the idea of Rip's discussion with Lily – possibly not what you expected but this was how it came out.
