"Gideon?"
"I am here, Captain Hunter," Gideon replied.
Rip smiled, "Systems check. Do you have full access?"
There was a pause before Gideon replied, "I can access the entire house, Captain Hunter."
"Excellent," Rip sighed in relief, "This is it now, Gideon. Our new home."
"You have chosen well, Captain," Gideon told him, "It is a good place to raise your son."
Rip smiled before he jogged up the stairs, reaching the kitchen he closed the doors making sure it was locked. It was the one section of the house Jonas did not have access to.
"Okay," he said as he began to unpack the boxes sitting on the counters, "Let's start with protocols regarding who is allowed in the house other than Jonas and myself."
"The list I currently hold is Mr Ramon, Dr Snow, Mr Allen, Miss West, Master West, Detective West and Mrs Stein," Gideon told him, "Do you wish to add the Legends."
"No," he told her, "I'd prefer that they have to let me know if they're here."
"Very well," she replied.
Rip paused for a moment, "Next is that I'm changing your number one protocol. Jonas is now your top priority."
"I cannot do that, Captain," Gideon replied softly, "The only way to change that protocol is for you to disconnect from me and connect your son. You and I both know he is too young for the connection and we do not have the equipment to perform it."
Rip leaned against the counter whispering, "If anything happens to him, Gideon, it will kill me this time."
"I know, Captain," she soothed, "I cannot change my number one protocol but I will protect him the same as I do you for that very reason."
He let out a soft sigh, "Thank you, Gideon."
x
"Someone tell me where I'm going?" Cisco called as he carried a box from the car.
"Just put it in the corner," Rip told him.
Cisco did as told frowning at him, "Where did you get all this stuff? You've barely lived in this time for five minutes and I know you brought very little with you from the Waverider."
"It is filled with things Joe's given me for Jonas," Rip told him.
Cisco sighed, "So it goes in his room?"
"The spare room next to his," Rip replied, "I want his room to be clear."
He smiled to himself as Cisco picked the box up again and made his way upstairs.
Joe appeared from the kitchen and looked around, "That seems to be everything."
"Thank you for your help, Joe," Rip told him.
Joe shrugged, "No problem. I heard Jonas got into Westbrook."
"Yes," Rip smiled, "He starts in two weeks. Hopefully that will give him time to settle in here. Then I can get him into a proper routine."
"What are you going to do?" Joe asked, "Now Gideon is set up in Star Labs and here?"
"I'm not precisely sure. I spent all my life training to be a Time Master," Rip told him, "But I have the resources at the moment to take some time to work it out."
Joe chuckled, "I better head if I'm going to make it to my job on time. Cisco," he called up the stairs, "I'm going if you want a ride."
Cisco reappeared, "Great. See you later, Rip."
Rip nodded watching his friends leave him alone once more. Checking the time he decided to pick up Jonas from Clarissa and introduce him to his new home.
"I don't want to go."
Rip looked down into the wide eyes of his son, "But you always liked school."
"That was before," Jonas pouted.
Sitting beside him at the table Rip pulled Jonas into his lap, "I know its scary starting a new school but you'll like it. You'll make new friends and get to learn lots of things."
"Gideon can teach me lots of things," Jonas reminded him.
Rip glanced up at the camera making sure Gideon did not say a word, "I know. Look," he hugged his son close to him, "I promise that I will be there the moment school finishes to pick you up. Okay?"
Jonas let out a long sigh, "Okay."
Kissing the top of his boy's head Rip sat him back on his chair, "Now finish your breakfast then we'll get going."
Grabbing his tea Rip frowned, he wasn't too happy about Jonas going to school either. The thought of leaving him there without any of the safety measures he'd put in place for his son terrified him but he knew Jonas had to go to school.
"Knock knock," a call came from the front door just before Cisco appeared, "Good morning."
"Cisco," Jonas bounced up and ran to hug his friend, "What are you doing here?"
"It's your first day at school, little dude," Cisco told him, "I wasn't going to miss this and I brought you something."
Jonas' eyes lit up at the present Cisco gave him, "It's a Flash watch."
"It goes with your backpack," Rip noted with a smile, "Get your jacket and bag so we can go."
With a grin at his friend Jonas bounced away.
"There may also be a little something in that watch you might find interesting," Cisco said once Jonas was out of hearing range, "Gideon showed me how to create a small...let's call it an observation chip so she can monitor him."
"You put a tracker on him?" Rip asked grimacing, "You know Clarissa talked me out of doing just that."
Cisco held up his hands innocently, "It's totally passive and will only activate if something happens that's out of the ordinary."
x
"Mr Hunter," Mrs Weaver smiled when they walked in the doors, "And Jonas. It's nice to see you both again."
Rip nodded to her, "And you."
"Jonas," Weaver said motioning to the familiar woman next to her, "Do you remember Ms Meadows?"
Jonas nodded shyly.
"Well Ms Meadows is your new teacher," she told him, "So, you say bye to your dad and she'll take you to meet the rest of your class."
Rip forced himself to smile before he crouched down and gave his son a big hug, "I'll be waiting for you when school finishes," he reminded Jonas, "Have fun."
Jonas gave him a weak smile before leaving with his new teacher.
"He'll be fine," Weaver assured him laughing slightly at his confused look, "I can always tell the anxious parents."
Rip gave a slight grimace, "It's been a hard few months for him, for both of us."
"I understand," she replied, "You don't have to worry, Mr Hunter we know about the loss of his mother and our staff are trained to cope with any instances that might arise due to his grief."
Rip nodded not sure what to say.
Weaver smiled at him, "Now, I'm sure you have things to do. Jonas will be fine. Have a good day."
He watched her leave frowning as Gideon suddenly came in his ear.
"Master Hunter is perfectly fine," she said, "It is time to leave the school, Captain."
Unable to say anything back since he was in public Rip simply grimaced and forced himself to return to the car where Cisco was waiting.
"Not bad," he grinned at Rip, "Less than ten minutes for you to come back."
"Mrs Weaver is very persuasive," Rip told him, "And I can't let Jonas see me be anything but comfortable leaving him here."
x
The bell rang announcing the end of the school day and Rip stood with the rest of the parents waiting for their children. After a few minutes the door opened and the teachers allowed children out only when they saw a parent or guardian.
Jonas saw Rip and ran to him, a big grin on his face. Rip caught him in a hug lifting him into his arms.
"Did you have fun?" he asked.
Jonas nodded enthusiastically, "Lots."
"And you learned new things," Rip said.
Jonas' face screwed up slightly, "Not yet but I think I will once Miss Meadows teaches the others what I know."
Rip chuckled letting him down before taking his hand to get back to the car. Heading home Rip listened happily to his son tell him all about his day at school, smiling that Jonas had made a few friends and liked his teacher.
x
Rip sat on the edge of his son's bed, reading to him. Jonas was more than capable of reading all the books he had but he liked being read to before he went to sleep. Miranda had always done it, allowing Rip to take a turn on the nights he was home with them. It was something he had always looked forward to.
Finding Jonas fast asleep Rip slid off the bed resting the book on the cabinet for the next night.
Covering the boy with the quilt, plain blue and not the Star Wars one Cisco had given him, Rip watched his son sleep.
"I'm doing my best, Miranda," he whispered, "I hope it's enough, I hope you're proud of me."
Jonas murmured in his sleep and Rip stroked his hair soothing him until he settled again.
Pulling himself away Rip left the room, putting on the night-light before he closed the door going downstairs.
Making some tea he let Gideon choose something on the television to play in the background while he read. He leaned back on his couch and wondered, for the first time in a while, how the Legends were doing.
The house was filled with people.
Because it was still quite warm Joe had decided that a barbecue would be the best way to feed them all so was currently in one corner of the garden with Wally cooking burgers and sausages. Cisco and Barry were in another playing some kind of game with Jonas that involved a lot of running and laughing.
Clarissa and Iris were sipping their drinks deep in conversation sitting at the table laden with salad, rolls and other food he had been told was necessary for a housewarming party while Caitlin and Lily were in the kitchen chatting away.
"Captain," Gideon said in his ear, "There is someone at the door."
Rip smiled slightly, "Thank you, Gideon. You can speak aloud you know. There is no one in the house that does not know you're here."
"I prefer to speak directly to you," she replied making him chuckle slightly.
Opening the door Rip smiled at the young woman standing there, "Lisa, I didn't think you were going to make it."
"I wasn't sure if I should," Lisa Snart shifted slightly uncomfortably before holding up her hands, "No weapon. I promise."
He moved out the way so she could enter the house, "You're always welcome here, Lisa. Everyone is in the garden. Come and join us."
Silence descended when Lisa stepped into the garden broken by Jonas calling her name and running to hug her hello. Surprise covered Lisa's face but she allowed herself to be pulled over to join in the game with Cisco and Barry.
"Lisa Snart," Caitlin appeared at Rip's side, "Really?"
Rip smiled slightly, "Her brother's sacrifice is one of the reasons Jonas is here with me again and I promised Mr Rory I would watch out for her. She needs a family as much as I do."
x
"At Cisco's insistence," Rip said to the group surrounding him, "I asked you here to celebrate the home that Jonas and I now have. But this is also a thank you as without knowing me at all you took us in. You have given me people I can trust, who I can turn to when I need help which you have seen has been a great deal in trying to settle here,"
He paused as everyone laughed, looking over at Jonas who was sitting happily in Lisa's lap.
"I have never been good at asking for help," Rip continued, "And I have never been easy to get along with, ask Gideon. I just wanted to say that I am extremely grateful to have you all here and that you are here for Jonas."
Joe raised his glass first but was soon joined by everyone else, "Welcome to the family."
