Cold CanaryI guess you win…

Okay, just remember this story was started before ep 1x09… Just act like 1x09 still hasn't happened, and we'll be good…

He slammed into the wall, and collapsed to the ground as soon as he entered the jump ship. His left arm was cradled by his right arm, a low growl rolled off of him.

"Damn, Len. Are you okay?" Jax asked when his eyes found Leonard sitting curled in on himself.

Leonard nodded, but didn't say anything.

Jax was about to comfort Len, pat his shoulder… "Look, you can tell us everythi…"

"DON'T TOUCH!" the crook bit out through gritted teeth.

The younger team member backed off instantly.

"Is there something wrong?"

Leonard shook his head, even though he knew his shoulder was injured.

"Come on man!" Jax said as he hunched down beside the older man, "You look like you're in pain…"

Len closed his eyes and attempted to block out the pain, imagine that it belonged to someone else… It sometimes helped…

"Mr. Snart, you look awful!" Rip closed in on the rest of them after making sure the door was locked properly from the inside.

"You don't look like daisies yourself!" Len growled as he focused on keeping his left shoulder immobile.

"Not what I meant, Crook!" Rip bit back, trying to remember why the criminal even was on the team.

Len tried to sit up straight, but something jarred in his shoulder and he winced.

"Okay, that's it! Something is wrong!" Stein declared a few seconds after Jax and him split in two again.

"No, I'm fine!"

"You're clearly not!" Stein countered, "You're in obvious pain, you won't tell us what's hurting you, and you flinched away when Jackson tried to…"

It was like a lightbulb went on above the senior man.

"Of course… It's your shoulder… Isn't it?"

"No… It's fine!" Leonard tried to assure them.

"Show us and we'll believe you!" Jax stared at him.

"I don't take my clothes off on the first date…" Len scowled up at the other men.

"Okay, well then… Stand up…" Jax ordered.

Leonard did as he was told, and struggled to his feet.

"Lift your arms out to your sides like this, and then over your head…" Jax showed how he meant as he explained. "And then down in front of you, and the same, but in opposite order."

Len frowned, but went to do as he was told.

He managed to lift his arm about eight inches out from his body, before his knees went weak and he grabbed a hold of the aching arm once again.

"I don't know what that is… But it's not nothing…" Jax frowned, and stepped closer. "Okay, you have to show me that shoulder of yours…"

Len shook his head.

"Why not?" Jax asked with a confused expression.

"You don't want to see it…" Leonard answered. His voice just above whisper, his eyes were closed and his jaw was clenched tight.

"But why?" Jax whispered back.

"It's not pretty…" Only Jax could hear him…

"Who cares?"

"You'll probably see me as someone else… You'll never see me as just me again…" Len whispered back, he had opened his eyes and stared directly at Jax.

"I don't want people to see that part of me…" he begged. "Certainly not all three of you…"

Jackson nodded, "What if Rip and Stein turn around? Would that help?"

Len shrugged one shouldered.

"Grey, Rip, can you turn around?"

The two others looked at him confused, but nodded and turned around.

Len swallowed hard, as he found the collar of his jacket with his right hand, and pulled it off his left shoulder. He winced, and found the hem of his sweater. He tried to stretch it over his shoulder, but grimaced as soon as one of his fingers brushed against the tender skin.

"Painful?"

"Peachy…" Len bit the inside of his cheek, before his eyes found Jax'. "You have to do it…"

Jax nodded, and took a hold of the fabric.

He pulled the collar wide enough to get a good look of Leonard's shoulder, and he almost wished he hadn't.

He inhaled sharply as he took in the sight that greeted him.

"I said you shouldn't see it!" Len whispered, his voice was small and fragile. "No one should see those…"

The scars…

"Len, you should be at the med bay!" Jax found Leonard's eyes again. "The bruise is almost black, and your shoulder is swollen beyond belief… Something is wrong."

Len's expression changed…

"But the scars?" he whispered.

Jackson shook his head, "Not your fault, and you should not be ashamed of them…"

"But they're ugly…"

"So is my knee…" Jackson countered, "I still wear shorts…"

Len chuckled, but soon regretted it as it jostled his shoulder. He grimaced hard.

"Look, if you need to talk about whatever, whenever… I'm here… But I won't force you… Okay?"

Len nodded, as Jax placed his jacket back where it had been.

"I'm not surprised if you've broken something, or teared it…" Jax said as he removed his own jacket. "Better make you a sling…"

Jackson tied the arms of the jacket together behind Leonard's neck, and helped Leonard's arm into the makeshift sling.

Leonard grimaced and gripped his elbow to steady his shoulder.

"Sorry…" Jax whispered.

"It's okay…" Len whispered back…

"It's okay! You can turn back around now!" Len said a little louder.

"How bad is it?" Rip asked and eyed the jacket acting as a sling.

"Don't really know… But it looks awful! The bruise and the swelling is just…" Jax paused in search for the right word to describe it. "It looks awful…"

Okay… Hope you enjoyed it…