AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another contribution to the fixit collection. I have to admit, I was crying as I wrote it. But joy comes in the morning.

The usual disclaimer applies. DC Entertainment owns these characters and likes to torture the fans.

Savage imploded when Kendra struck the killing blow with her gold-plated mace. A flash of blue light, a dying echo of a scream, and the long nightmare was over. Kendra and Carter landed, furling their wings, and looked around at the team.

Sara sagged to her knees, the bloodlust sated for now. They'd won at last, but at such a terrible cost. The tears were rising up again, and she was too spent to hold them back.

Rip was panting heavily. "Miss Saunders, Mr. Hall, your timing was impeccable."

Kendra pulled her mask off and looked around at the group. Jax and Stein had just separated, Ray was pulling off his helmet, and Mick was standing over the body of one of Savage's minions. "Where's Snart?" she asked.

"Dead," Mick answered in a voice that sounded as dead as Sara felt.

Kendra looked down in shock at Sara, her own eyes filling with tears. She knelt and the two women clung to each other.

That's when Sara finally broke, bawling in a way she hadn't since she was a child. She'd wept with her father over her sister, and when she told him about the man she thought she could have loved. But that had been more controlled, gentler. Nothing like these gut wrenching sobs that she just couldn't stop.

Maybe she felt… safer… breaking in the company of this team, because they were feeling the pain too.

Maybe it was because, deep down, she knew Kendra had understood her feelings for Leonard Snart long before Sara had figured them out for herself.

Kendra rocked her, murmuring soft words and rubbing her back in gentle circles. She could hear Mick's low voice explaining to Carter what had happened.

When the flood of tears finally stopped, Sara pulled back and whispered, "Thank you." Kendra gave her a sad smile and squeezed her shoulders.

Sara looked around. The men had gathered in a protective circle around them, with expressions ranging from Stein's sympathetic understanding to Ray's barely contained tears. Mick reached out a hand to help her up. "Come on, Blondie," he said gruffly. "Let's go home."

Mick steadied her stumbling steps as they headed back to the Waverider. As good a home as any for the moment, she supposed. She wasn't sure what she would do now that the mission was over, but for now, she needed these people around her. People who understood.

When they reached the ship, habit took them all to the bridge, to gather around the holo table. Sara sank into the chair Len usually lounged across, while Mick went into Rip's study and emerged a moment later with a bottle of the ex-Time Master's seemingly endless supply of liquor. Rip didn't even protest this time, as Mick opened the bottle and offered the first sip to Sara before passing it around the room.

After taking his own drink, Rip let out a sigh. "Gideon," he said in a raw voice, "tell me about the timeline. Tell me about 2166."

Gideon's image appeared above the holo table. "Certainly, Captain Hunter. In 2166, the United States will establish the third successful colony on Mars. The Winter Olympics will return to Nagano, Japan. And Palmer Technologies will release its newest generation of humaniform robots."

"Doesn't sound like a world at war," Carter observed.

"And my family?" Rip asked.

"Your family is living in Whitechapel."

Rip's voice trembled. "They're alive?"

"Affirmative. Jonas, Miranda and your unborn child are well and in no danger."

Rip leaned heavily against the table. "My unborn child?" he asked in a shocked voice.

"Yes, Captain. A boy."

There was silence for a moment, then Jax said, "Congratulations."

Rip had closed his eyes at the news. After a moment, he said roughly, "Mr. Rory. Mick. Sara. If you don't mind, I think we will name this child 'Leonard.'"

Sara nodded, feeling fresh tears. Mick grunted acceptance.

Then an icy voice asked, "Don't you think you ought to ask if I mind? It is my name, after all, and frankly, Rip, I didn't think we were that close."

Sara sprang out of the seat, eyes wide in shock. Leonard Snart was standing in the passageway leading back to the crew quarters, glaring at his teammates who were all staring at him in amazement.

He walked over to the table and took the bottle from Carter. After taking a swig, he growled, "I wake up in my bunk, and now I find you all made big changes to the timeline. Sounds like you managed to finally kill Savage, without me. I thought I was a part of this team. I wanted my crack at him too, you know."

It was Ray who finally answered. "We thought you were dead."

Len's eyes flashed over first to Mick, then to Sara for confirmation. He stared at the tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Gideon, explain!" Rip ordered.

"The destruction of the Oculus pulled Mr. Snart into the timestream. He woke up in his bunk just as you all returned to the Waverider."

Now Len looked troubled. "Oculus. I know that word. I heard it in a dream."

"What else do you remember?" Rip asked.

Now it was Len leaning heavily against the table. "Flashes. Images. The Captain and Tenille?" He closed his eyes, concentrating. "Did anybody order up a rescue?" He opened his eyes and looked at Sara. "Me and you…" He put his hands to his lips. "A kiss…" He shook his head. "That's all. Just a dream."

"No," Stein said. "Memories. Those things really happened, Mr. Snart."

"You died saving us," Ray added.

"You died saving me," Mick amended, walking to Len and putting his hands on his shoulders. "And you broke your promise. You weren't supposed to knock me out ever again."

"We can always settle this one with our fists," Len offered. He huffed when Mick wrapped him in a tight hug. "Hey, I thought we weren't that kind of partners."

Mick released him and gave him a small smile. "No, but we are that kind of brothers."

Len's mouth twitched a little at that, before he turned back to Gideon's image. "So I was in the timestream, and I ended up here," Len said. "Why here, out of all possible places?"

"Time wants to happen," Gideon replied. "Time dictated that you must reappear here."

"Gideon, did you know this?" Kendra asked, meeting Sara's eyes.

"Yes."

"And you couldn't tell us," Sara said in a cold voice. "You made me think, made us think…"

If an artificial intelligence could sound snippy, Gideon did at that moment. "Mr. Snart's apparent death was a catalyst for the team to create a working plan to destroy Vandal Savage. And it was necessary to destroy the Oculus in order to stop the interference by the Time Masters. Time wants to happen, Miss Lance, and it does not care whether anyone's feelings are hurt in the process." Gideon paused. "But I do care, Miss Lance, as far as I am programmed to do so. If you remember your dreams of the past few nights, you will understand that I did what I could."

Sara took in a breath. She'd known that Gideon could monitor dreams. But apparently the AI had directed her own dreams, which had been of a beautiful future, with Len at her side. "Those dreams were from you?"

"They were your dreams, Miss Lance. I just kept the nightmares away so you could have them."

"You've been dreaming of me," Len said slowly. "And in my dream… my memories…"

She nodded. He stepped closer to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, the same way Mick had done to him.

"Me and you," he said. "And… I died with your kiss on my lips."

Another nod. She didn't trust her voice.

"It was a good way to go," he said with a smirk. Then he turned serious. "Sara, I was too late then. But now…"

Finally she had to speak. "Now you're right on time."

Then his arms were around her, the way she'd wanted for so long without knowing how much she wanted it. His lips were on hers, letting her know he was here and alive and wanting this as much as she did. She melted into him, the way she could not when she kissed him the first time. His mouth moved over hers tenderly as one of his hands splayed against her back and the other moved into her hair. When they parted, there was wonder in his eyes.

"Maybe I ought to make a habit of dying if this is what it gets me," he said with a slight smile.

"Maybe not," she said sternly, and kissed him again, long and less chastely than before, uncaring about their audience, just needing to feel his presence surrounding her. When this kiss ended, she laid her head against his chest, closing her eyes and breathing him in. "Don't ever do anything so stupid again."

He kissed her hair. "I'll try not to, but I've noticed that 'stupid' seems to be in the job description for heroes."

There was soft laughter around the room at that. Then she heard the clinking of glasses. Len loosened his hold on her so she could turn to look at the others.

Rip had retrieved a set of glasses from his study and was pouring a round of drinks. He passed them around and held his up in a toast. "Welcome back, Mr. Snart. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see you alive."

"That mean you're still going to name your kid after me?" Len quipped, getting another laugh.

"Perhaps," Rip said. "I'll see what Miranda thinks."

"Fair enough," Len said, taking a drink.

Stein cleared his throat. "If I may," he said. "This… miracle… brings one thing to my mind. This is for you, Miss Lance. From Psalms: Weeping may endure for a night…"

"But joy comes in the morning," Ray finished. He raised his glass. "To joy."

"And miracles," Stein added. The team raised their glasses to echo the toast.

Sara leaned against Len, her arm around his waist, his around her shoulders. They'd have a lot to talk about: what the future held for them, opportunities rediscovered. Dreams to make come true.

Eventually Mick would have to be part of that discussion. But for now, with their team, their friends, she was content to just savor this miracle.

This joy.

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. – Psalm 30:5

End note: I will also be posting this on my livejournal. Several of us here are talking about creating a LoT comm there for fic, discussion, art, etc. If you are interested, check out my LJ Post at larielromeniel dot livejournal dot com.