Chapter 03: Laurel
"You're late" Laurel said as she opened the door to her apartment and stepped aside. Sara rolled her eyes and walked in, followed by Nyssa.
"My apologies, Laurel, you do know how hard it is to wake her from her naps"
Laurel grinned and closed the door behind them, turning to hug Nyssa "It's good to see you, Nyssa. Glad you could make it"
"Why wouldn't she make it?" Sara asked from the couch, her feet already up on the coffee table with a bowl of popcorn resting on her lap.
The other two women joined her in the living room, making themselves comfortable too "Well, for starters, she could've kicked your sorry ass to the curb when you found her"
"People really need to start giving me more credit" Sara said around a mouth full of popcorn. She threw one high up in the air, trying to catch it with her mouth and failing.
"Nice assassin reflexes, sis" Laurel remarked with a snort, making Nyssa laugh.
The short blonde glared at both of them "Shut up, I'm outta practice from my two week vacation at the beach" she said as an excuse "Look" without warning, she threw one at Nyssa, who caught it perfectly. She huffed frustrated and glared at her girlfriend "You could've helped me there, just saying"
"How, exactly?" the brunette asked amused.
"By not being able to do everything so perfectly all the time!"
That made the other two laugh again "I am deeply sorry, beloved. I will try to fail next time"
"You shouldn't fail intentionally to make her look good" Laurel observed.
"Yes, she does, 'cause she lo-o-oves me" the blonde smiled and blew her girlfriend a kiss "Speaking of unexplainable love for the Lances, where's your hubby?" she asked looking around the apartment "I could use someone on my side right now. Probably a beer, too"
"Some people have to work, you know? It's friday"
"Wait, you mean putting up with your insufferable ass isn't his only job?" Sara asked gasping dramatically.
Laurel glared at her sister "You're such an ass, Sara"
"Whatever, you love me"
"Only because I have to. Dad makes me"
"Please, if we listened to everything dad says you wouldn't be married and I wouldn't be with Nyssa"
"Touché"
The blonde grinned smugly "And I was your maid of honor, so that proves you kinda love me and stuff"
"Mom made me" Laurel said trying to hide her smile "I wouldn't bring up my wedding if I were you, Sara" she added after a second though.
Nyssa snorted and looked at her girlfriend "I agree with Laurel, beloved. It is not wise to remind her of some… incidents"
"It was the one time! You can't blame only me, Thea is just as responsible as I am"
"It doesn't matter! One too many. I only planned on getting married once, so that makes it a hundred percent of my weddings you almost ruined!"
"I see you are trying to stay optimistic, that's the spirit!" her younger sister said smirking.
"Stop fueling your sister's desire to murder you, habibti, you know I can't protect you from her"
"This isn't fair, you always gang up on me, I don't like you two being friends" Sara protested, took her phone out of her pocket and started typing.
"What are you doing?" her sister asked curiously.
"Texting your husband to come here, I need backup"
"Sara, he's working"
"Well, he's not too busy, then, 'cause he just texted me back"
"And what did he say?"
"That he's working and I'm on my own" she read frowning and looked at her sister "Jerk"
"If I remember correctly, you were the one who insisted on Laurel and I being friends" Nyssa remarked smiling.
"Well, what do I know?!" the blonde huffed "Why people keep listening to me, I have no idea!"
"You can always go back in time and prevent us from being friends" Laurel suggested.
"Now there's an idea!" she exclaimed excitedly "How should I do that?"
Laurel shrugged "You can always get me killed or something" she said giggling, but Sara went completely still and surprisingly serious.
"Don't ever say that again"
"Jeez, Sara, relax. I was kidding!" the older Lance answered rolling her eyes.
"That's not funny, Laurel"
The serious tone and pained expression made the other two women look at her frowning "Sara?" Laurel asked after a few seconds looking into her sister's eyes "Did anything happen to me?"
The rush of painful memories flooded her mind and the blonde shook her head, closing her eyes, trying to make them go away.
Nyssa exchanged a worried look with Laurel and took her girlfriend's hand in hers "Sara, are you alright?"
"No, not really" Sara answered squeezing Nyssa's hand tightly.
The brunette ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair and moved closer "What happened?" she asked, wrapping one arm around her.
"Will I die soon?"
"What?! NO!" the blonde yelled alarmed.
"Did I die?" Laurel tried again "Back in a different timeline or whatever; did I die?"
Sara nodded and took a deep breath "I came back and dad told me you were dead"
Nyssa gasped and Laurel looked at her sister with a sad smile "Sara, I'm alive. I don't know how or when, but you clearly fixed it. I'm alive, honey"
"I know" the blonde said nodding and wiped away her tears "But I still had to go through that, regardless of what happened here for you" she took a deep breath "I cried at your grave, Laurel. I threatened people; I actually hurt people, to be able to save you"
"God, Sara…" Laurel said shaking her head "…who did you hurt?"
Sara smiled sadly "I roughed up Rip, just a little bit, but he had it coming. I actually enjoyed that to be honest" she chuckled and sniffed "Dig's asshole little brother, some other 'ghost' dude… And I kinda hurt you, too, and I'm sorry for that"
"Me?" she asked confused "Sara, you didn't hurt me. What are you talking about?"
"Remember a couple months ago? What was supposed to be your last mission as the Black Canary?"
Her older sister nodded and rolled her eyes at herself "Yeah, I went and got myself kidnapped. Again"
"Yeah, well..." the blonde smiled and shrugged "…sorry about that, sis"
"That was you?!" Laurel asked remembering that night "You gave me a black eye, asshole!"
"Black eye beats dead every time!" Sara sighed and rolled her eyes before saying seriously "Darhk would've killed you that night"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah"
"Thank you for my black eye, then"
The blonde chuckled "You're welcome"
"I remember" Nyssa said frowning, trying to remember every single detail of that night "I was the one who found and rescued Laurel while the rest of the team was dealing with Darhk"
"And who do you think texted you hinting that something was gonna happen to her?" Sara said smiling "Do you think I would trust anyone else with my sister's safety? Even if I was the one behind the whole thing?"
"You little shit" Laurel said giggling and shaking her head.
The brunette laughed and shook her head too "It was not you who I fought that night"
"Well, no; I'm not stupid, and neither are you" Sara rolled her eyes "You trained me and we've been together for years. You would've noticed in a second if that was me"
"Yes, I would have"
The younger Lance smiled and kissed her girlfriend briefly "A friend owed me a favor, so I had them fill in for me"
"A 'friend'?" Laurel asked "Those were obviously League assassins"
"Yeah, so? A friend. I've made many friends in Nanda Parbat, Laurel. Assassins are people, too, and some of them are pretty cool. Some even owe me money..." she looked at Nyssa frowning "...can you please tell Michael to pay his poker debts? I don't wanna have to break his legs"
"Who helped you kidnap Laurel?" Nyssa asked going back to their previous topic, half smiling at Sara's request, half frowning at the thought of one of the assassins that were once loyal, betraying her.
"I can't tell you; for their safety"
"Sara" her girlfriend said threateningly raising one eyebrow "I would be more concerned about your safety if you don't tell me"
"Fine! Mesi. God, this is embarrassing" she sighed defeated "I'm so fucking weak with you. I can stand days of the most excruciating torture, but you give me one look and I spill everything. It's sad"
The brunette smiled shaking her head "I thought she was loyal to me"
"Correction: she is loyal to both of us" Sara giggled at her girlfriend's exasperated eye roll "I explained what would or could happen and she agreed right away. Even knowing she would get her ass kicked by you. That's true loyalty!"
"Oh, she got her ass kicked alright" Laurel added nodding.
"I thought those were Merlyn's men. What would have happened if the situation got out of hand?" Nyssa asked worried.
"She would have revealed herself and then explain everything to you and only you" Sara said seriously "Luckily, she held both of you long enough for the danger to be over, and got to run to safety at the end"
"I shall exchange a few words with her"
"Hell no! You're gonna give her crap for helping me!" when Nyssa nodded seriously the blonde rolled her eyes again "What was that thing you used to say back then? 'The Heir's beloved gets as much say in League matters as the Heir herself'" she recited in English and not Arabic for Laurel's benefit.
Nyssa sighed "This wasn't a League matter. This was personal"
"Well, it applies anyway!"
"Wait, who gave me the black eye, then?" Laurel asked.
"That would be me" Sara answered laughing.
Her older sister narrowed her eyes at her "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"
"Little bit"
The doorbell rang, startling the three of them while they were laughing "Did you order dinner?" Nyssa asked, as both Lance sisters exchanged a look.
Laurel nodded and excused herself to go open the door, while Sara scooted even closer to her girlfriend, who immediately wrapped her arm around her again and kissed the top of her head.
"Um, guys?"
Sara looked over Nyssa's shoulder at her sister and swallowed hard, moving her feet off the table and leaving the bowl of popcorn. She stood up, reaching for her girlfriend's hand, who immediately sensed the tension.
Sara tugged on her hand, making her stand up too, and reached up to touch her face with her free hand, rubbing the brunette's cheek with her thumb "I love you, Nyssa. I really hope this was okay"
"Sara? What—?" she cut her question short as it hit her; the faint sweet smell of vanilla mixed with hint of cardamom. The scent her mind immediately associated with the only happy memories she had from her childhood. She turned around slowly and spotted a middle aged woman standing next to Laurel. The woman had her eyes full of tears and was visibly shaking, staring back at her.
"Nyssa" the woman breathed out, barely whispering her name.
Nyssa squeezed her girlfriend's hand almost painfully, releasing the breath she didn't realize she was holding when she felt Sara softly rubbing her back "Mama?"
A/N: Media available for this chapter (Sara's Text). If interested, PM for details.