This is a new story that I had been working on in my google docs for a while. Finally finished it. I plan to upload a minimum of two chapters a day, since I leave for a study abroad semester on January 13th and I don't know if I'll be able to upload from the school's wifi. My plan is to have all the chapters up before I leave.

Anyways hope you enjoy.

It was the middle of the night. Everyone on the waverider was asleep. Well everyone except Captain Sara Lance, who heard a knocking on the outside of the waverider. Sara walked to the cargo bay and opened the door to find a frantic, paranoid young girl, shifting her weight nervously and looking over both shoulders.

"Please. Please let me in." The girl begged

She didn't know where she was, but she didn't care. She just needed to get somewhere safe, and for some reason she trusted the blonde woman standing in front of her.

"Uh kid, it's the middle of the night."

"Please. They're after me."

Sara allowed the girl inside, "Okay, but whoever you are, you and I are going to talk. I'm Sara by the way."

The girl was finally able to breathe as she stepped inside, "I'm Avalon..uh Avi. I prefer Avi."

"So Avi, who are you running from?" Sara asked

It wasn't until Avalon had stepped inside the cargo bay that Sara saw the fading bruises on the girl's face, neck and arms. Sara noticed that the bruises on Avalon's arms were more indicative of being defensive bruises, rather than just accidental or from someone trying to fend her off.

Sara's voice softened, "Avi, how did you get these bruises?"

"I don't care what this place is, just please let me stay." Avalon dodged the question as she changed the topic.

Sara shook her head, "No. It's too dangerous for a kid. Now please tell me, who hurt you?"

"It's nothing. And I'm not a kid. I'm eighteen."

That was a lie. Avalon was fourteen, but she was desperate. She needed Sara to let her stay. She didn't have anywhere else to go.

Sara stared at Avalon. She didn't believe this girl standing in front of her was eighteen. She didn't look eighteen. If Sara had to guess, she would say that Avalon looked fourteen. Maybe fifteen max. She was just a kid. A kid who evidently had fought for her life against someone, who intended to cause her harm or even death.

Sara gave a nod, "Okay. Welcome aboard the waverider, but if you are to stay you have to listen to me. Life on the waverider can be dangerous."

"I can listen just as long as you don't…." Avalon trailed off stopping herself. It was best that she didn't say anything that gave away too much information. She would rather not talk about it anyways.

"As long as I don't what?"

Avalon pursed her lips together, "Um...Where's the bathroom?"

"I'll show you."

Avalon followed Sara as she led her to the location of the bathroom. Upon arriving, Avalon quickly stepped inside as Sara left her alone. Avalon leaned over the toilet and threw up.

There was something that Avalon didn't tell Sara and it was more than just not saying where the bruises came from and who she's running from, but it did have to do with why she was running.

Meanwhile at Avalon's house, her parents were freaking out about her being gone and frantically calling all of her friends to see if she was with one of them. And this is after calling Avalon and hearing her phone ring inside the house.

"Row? Row! Where is she? Where's our daughter?"

"I don't know, Dess, but we will find her and bring her home." Rowan assured his wife

Iridessa leaned her head against her husband's chest, "We have to. I can't live without my baby."

"And you won't have to. I will find and bring our daughter home no matter what it takes." Rowan said before kissing the top of his wife's head.

Back with Avalon, she was out of the bathroom and headed back to where she had been when she was talking with Sara. She found Sara standing there with her arms crossed.

"So would you like to tell me who gave you those bruises now? And what were you saying about as long as I don't….as long as I don't what?"

Avalon swallowed. She walked over to the steps and sat down, running her hands through her hair. She didn't want to answer those questions. She didn't want anyone knowing the truth.

"I'm pretty tired. Can I just go to bed and answer the questions in the morning?"

Sara sighed as she walked over to Avalon. This girl really did remind Sara of herself when she was younger, when she first came back to Starling city after the undertaking to check on her family.

Sara squatted down in front of Avalon. She spoke softly, "Avi, I used to be a lot like you. Very secretive and never letting anyone in. Let me tell you, it is better to let people in. It's hard, but it takes a lot of weight off of your shoulders when you are able to share the burden."

Avalon bit her bottom lip, "I...um...I've been living on the streets for the last couple days. I got attacked. That's how I got the bruises. As for the other part...what I said, it's nothing. I just had...I had a rough childhood by no fault of my parents."

Avalon wasn't telling the whole truth, just partial truths. She didn't want Sara to know the truth about her parents. She couldn't risk the truth coming out. How could she tell this woman anyways? It didn't seem to Avalon how her personal family matters should be of any concern to the blonde.

Sara nodded, "Well I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay." She stood up, walking around Sara, "Now if you excuse me, I'd like to go to bed now."

"Let me show you to your quarters."

Sara led Avalon to the quarters that had formerly belonged to Rip. She knew that Avalon was still hiding something or lying about something, especially the story about how she had gotten the bruises. From the look of the bruises, Sara could tell that they were about a week old, but now was not the time to force the truth out. Sara could sense that the girl trusted her to some degree. Now she just needed to establish a rapport with the girl. She needed Avalon to know that she could trust her with anything and everything.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?