Chapter 3: Epilogue

It was much, much later when Leonard and Sara emerged from her room. They walked toward the bridge staying close to one another, both unable to really believe that they were able to have this second chance.

Sara stretched languorously as she walked, feeling happy, satisfied, and finally ready to share Snart with the team after having dominated his attention for the last 24 hours.

Sara turned towards Leonard to ask him a question, but smiled when she noticed the way he was watching her. "What? Haven't had enough?"

"Hardly," Leonard's eyes flicked up and down her body. "Has anyone ever told you that you put the 'ass' in assassin?"

Sara smiled as Leonard stopped walking and pulled her towards him. "That was clever, crook."

Leonard ran a hand through her waves as he said, "Of course I haven't had enough," and kissed her lingeringly. "But," he grabbed her shoulders and lightly moved her away from him, "If we didn't leave the room, Rip would send someone to get us. Whoever it was would either die from shock, embarrassment..." he tilted his head, "or your throwing knives, and you don't want that on your conscience," he teased.

Sara chuckled. Turning, she continued walking them toward the bridge. Finally able to ask him her original question, she asked, "Are you ready for this?"

"Am I ready for what?" He kept facing forward, but his eyes turned towards her.

"This is the spaceship equivalent to the walk of shame. They are going to tease us mercilessly. Especially Mick."

Leonard chuckled. "Actually, I think we timed our walk of shame quite well. I can absolutely guarantee they will be distracted by something else."

She studied his face. "Alright, what. What aren't you telling me?"

They had reached the entry to the bridge. Rather than answering her, Leonard simply walked in. Leonard could tell the moment Sara saw the new guy. Her body tensed for a moment and her hands flicked to her knives, then her body relaxed.

The crew had gone silent when they walked in, but Rip broke it.

"So pleased you could join us, Mr. Snart. Ms. Lance." The sarcasm in Rip's voice was unmistakable.

Leonard bowed his head sarcastically and continued walking to his seat. Sara settled for leaning against the wall near the entry and crossed her arms.

"Who's he?" Sara jerked her chin towards the new guy.

"That, Ms. Lance, is Mr. Rex Tyler. He told us we cannot fly the Waverider, but that he couldn't tell us why, because Mr. Snart threatened him with bodily harm, specifically his reproductive capabilities."

All heads turned towards Snart.

"What?" Leonard shrugged.

"Apparently, Mr. Tyler isn't allowed to talk until you (and I quote) 'reunite with your crew mates.'" Rip looked closely at Snart. "Have you and Ms. Lance ... reunited?"

"Several times, actually," Sara smiled from where she was cleaning her nails with a knife.

"Ew," said Jax.

Snart smirked. "What can I say, I'm a thorough man."

"Gross," said Jax.

Rip closed his eyes in exasperation. Without opening them, he said, "If we can get on with it, then?"

"Not quite," Leonard said. "Part of my deal with the kid included finding out what happened while I... was exploding." Leaning back in his chair, Leonard crossed his legs. "So, tell me what happened."

"Didn't Sara tell you?" Ray asked.

Leonard grinned wolfishly. "We haven't exactly done a lot of talking."

"Just puked in my mouth," said Jax.

Rip sighed, deciding to humor Snart. "Very well." He then described the events following Leonard's not-quite-demise.

As Rip spoke, Leonard got a funny feeling. It wasn't like Alexa, but it was odd. The feeling continued to build until Leonard couldn't take it any more and interrupted. "Say that again."

Rip looked at Snart funny. "Savage had to be killed in three times and places at once?"

Leonard looked a little shifty. Mick called him out on it.

"What's going on, Snart? You only look that way when something goes wrong on a job and you think it's your fault."

"Ain't nothing my fault," Leonard said defensively. "I think I might have... influenced your timeline a little bit."

"Spit it out, crook," Sara warned.

Tilting his head, Leonard stared at Sara a moment before sighing. "While I was in the Oculus, I thought about that time when Savage held a knife to your throat. When I remembered that, I was so pissed off that I thought to myself Savage deserved to die three times for what he did to you. I was trying to shape the future, but I didn't think the Oculus would take my thoughts so literally."

"Oh my god, you mean killing him was that hard because of you!?" Sara crossed the room looking ready to grapple him.

"Hey!" Leonard said as he defended himself. "Be grateful I didn't say 17 times!"

After fending off Sara's mock attacks, Leonard looked at Rip. "You didn't happen to see the sunrise with your family - did you?"

Silence met Snart's question. The crew was waiting for Rip's denial and Rip was staring at Snart in surprise. "Yes, actually. One could say that I saw the sunrise with my family. It saved my life actually."

Everyone was startled, but Leonard smiled smugly. "You're welcome."

Leonard looked over at the Professor and Jax. Feeling confident that his thoughts in the Oculus were literal, he asked, "and how did Firestorm become stronger?"

A moment passed.

"Aww man, Gray. I thought we did this on our own." Jax looked disappointed. The Professor on the other hand looked ecstatic.

"Firestorm now has the ability to transmute materials. This is astonishing! You actually rewrote the laws of physics where we are concerned. Who knows what the limits of our powers might now be? Transmutation may be just the beginning!"

As the Professor turned and excitedly chatted up his partner, Ray interrupted, "Ooo, do me next, do me!"

"You're not my type, Boy Scout," Leonard deadpanned.

Unfazed, Ray said, "How'd you change my future?"

Leonard's eyes involuntarily flicked to his old partner and back to Ray. "Not telling."

Mick got suspicious. "Snart?"

Leonard felt uncomfortable. Cracking his neck from side to side, he finally asked, "Did you two become friends?"

Ray and Mick exploded at the same time; one was gleeful and the other vengeful.

"Damn it, Snart!"

"I knew it was you! Remember, Mick, when we were in the parking lot after you shot your sixth potential partner and I said maybe Snart wanted us to become partners? Remember?"

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Hey! That's what you said then too! You do remember!"

Rather than answering Ray, Mick just gave Snart a dirty look.

"Yeah, yeah... Sorry." Leonard was amused.

He paused for a moment, debating whether to ask about Kendra and Carter, but continued anyway. "I notice the two love birds ain't here. I assume they made it out okay. My exact thought was 'Kendra being strong enough to get back to Carter.'"

"Yes, they are fine. As to your influence on their timeline, I was with them for the final battle." Rip paused as he thought through the melee. His eyes lit up as he came up with an answer. "That phrasing must have given Kendra the strength to break free of her bonds when Mr. Hall got injured." Rip assured Mr. Snart that it turned the tide in their battle.

"Always happy to lend a helping hand..."

As if that phrasing sparked an idea, Snart reached for Sara's hand from where she was sitting next to him.

"I don't need anyone to tell me how my thoughts came true about you," he murmured.

"Oh really? And what exactly were you thinking?"

"That I would spend the future by your side."

She stared into his eyes for a moment. "Better keep up your end of that, Leonard. The future is a very long time."

"Especially for a time traveler," Rip interrupted in a loud voice. "And while the future is infinite, my patience is not. Mr. Snart, anything else to add before we move on to the almost certain catastrophe brought to us by Mr. Tyler?"

Leonard was about to speak, but Jax beat him to it.

"I can't believe it," Jax began. "Snart actually saved the world. Snart!"

Ray chimed in, "It's true! He singlehandedly stopped total annihilation. He's a hero!"

Mick and Rex snorted in the background.

Leonard glared. "I ain't a hero." He struggled to defend his bad reputation. "I just stole the future."

"He's a hell of a thief, after all," Sara added with some amusement.

"Yes, yes," Rip said, clearly wanting to move on. "Now, Mr. Tyler, what were you saying? Or not saying, as it were." He raised an eyebrow at Snart.

Rex cleared his throat and spoke firmly. "You absolutely cannot leave on this ship. If you do, you're all dead."

Silence greeted this statement.

"Says who," Mick spoke up defiantly.

"Says you, Mr. Rory," the reply came. "You sent me."

"I'm sorry, but who exactly are you, Mr. Tyler?"

"I'm a member of the Justice Society of America. Mr. Rory asked me to come to May 2016 and stop you from getting on this ship. I admit circumstances have changed somewhat due to Mr. Snart's... continued existence and very graphic threats. But time wants to happen, or so I've been told.

So whatever you do, do not fly this ship."

...

Cue dramatic music and thus begins season 2!

This was originally a 300 word epilogue, but your comments inspired me to rewrite. Hope you liked it!

I am going to start writing moments from the alternate timelines that Leonard saw while in the Oculus. Will post here. Thanks for reading. :)