A.N.: Written as part of Timeship Week 2017. The song Rip sings, Time in a Bottle, was written by Jim Croce.

Warning: Deals with canon character deaths and contains extreme amounts of angst.

The Incomprehensible

By DarkestSight

Chapter 1

Rip wasn't there when Jonas was born.

He had meant to be. He had arranged to take a few months off from the Time Masters beginning two weeks before Miranda's due date so he could be around to help her out and meet his son, but as often occured with him, things didn't go quite as planned.

He was a week late. His latest mission had been a tad more complicated than he'd anticipated and required a lot of finessing to ensure the time stream remained on track.

Jonas, showing an enthusiasm he'd retain throughout his short life, was a week early.

Rip had arrived at the flat he shared with his wife only to have a neighbour tell him Miranda had left for the hospital hours before. Rip raced there as fast as he could. He had actually been hoping for Jonas to be born on the Waverider under Gideon's watchful eye. Miranda, as much as she loved Gideon, hadn't been as sure about that but he had still believed he would be able to convince her. Another plan down the drain.

He burst breathlessly into the hospital and was quickly guided to his wife by an understanding nurse. Arriving at her room, he found Miranda lying in bed looking completely worn out, her face flushed, her hair a mess, and in her arms was their newborn son.

A stream of apologies spewed from his mouth but Miranda simply grinned and nodded her head towards the baby.

"Meet Jonas Alexander Hunter," she said.

Alexander for the father Miranda barely remembered. Jonas for the best friend who'd saved Rip's life so many times.

For a moment, Rip was unable to do anything more than stare.

Miranda laughed at him. "Go on then."

Nervously, Rip reached down and picked up his son.

Jonas was so tiny and felt so fragile in Rip's arms. As he watched, the baby blinked and gazed around with unfocused eyes, his body squirming, his tiny fingers curling and uncurling, before he settled down once more.

He was beautiful.

And Rip was absolutely terrified. He didn't even remember his own father. How was he supposed to be one? How was he supposed to ensure this tiny baby grew up safe and happy while at the same time protecting the time stream? Would he be able to be there when his son needed him?

He was so full of doubts but he was also completely and hopelessly in love.

Rip smiled down at his son, his eyes shining with tears.

Miranda put her hand on his arm and their eyes met in that one perfect moment.

A distant explosion, a rumble through the ground accompanied by a shockwave through the air.

Rip blinked and instinctively clutched the bodies in his arms closer to him. The ground was cold and his legs had grown numb from kneeling on it for so long. There was another explosion further away and the whine of laserfire. He gazed down. It was dark but the fires that sprouted from the debris surrounding them lit the night allowing him to see his son.

Jonas' eyes were closed as if in peaceful sleep. Rip had always loved to watch Jonas sleep. He'd read him stories at bedtime and then stay there long after Jonas had fallen asleep just watching. Leaning forward, Rip kissed his forehead. Too cold. He wished he had brought his coat so he could wrap it around him but he had left it behind on the Waverider. He moved so he could hold Jonas even tighter hopping to imbue some of the heat from his own body.

As he shifted position, he felt Miranda's head loll slightly against him and he held her tighter too. Her long dark hair tumbled over her shoulders in a tangled mess. He loved it when her hair was a mess, when long strands fell out of her neatly tied bun or when she had left it down and the locks flew everywhere. To him, it made her look even more beautiful. With one hand, Rip gently stroked her forehead and down the length of her hair. Miranda had never really understood why he loved it so much but she always made an effort to leave her hair down when he was around.

"Captain Hunter."

Quietly and haltingly, Rip began to sing. His throat felt tight and raw but he did it anyway, his hoarse voice barely audible even to his own ears.

"If I... could save time in a bottle, the first thing... that I'd like to do." A choked sob interrupted his singing, but after sniffing and clearing his throat, he continued. "...is to... is to save every day 'til eternity passes away just to... to spend them with you..."

"Captain Hunter!"

The song was a family joke that had become a family tradition, something he had started singing teasingly to Miranda and then ended up being demanded by Jonas every time he came home. Rip's voice became hoarser and hoarser but he continued singing, his body rocking slightly back and forth until his voice finally gave out completely and he just sat there, tears silently trailing down his cheeks.

"Captain!"

Rip blinked, head lifting as he finally registered the voice shouting in his ear.

"Gideon?"

"Yes, Captain," said the A.I. through his comlink, relief obvious in her voice. "I have been trying to reach you. Sensors indicate an increase in activity in your area. Have you found Miranda and Jonas?"

Rip stared down at the bodies in his arms trying not to see the blaster burns on their chests. "Yes, I have them. They're..." He swallowed. "I need to get them back to the ship."

There was a pause before Gideon spoke again. "Captain, I am not reading any life signs in your vicinity other than your own."

"I have to get them back to the ship," Rip repeated, insistently, knuckles growing white as he clutched Miranda and Jonas even tighter.

Gideon's voice was compassionate but firm. "There are soldiers approaching your area and there are several ships nearby preparing for another bombing run. It is imperative you get back to the Waverider immediately!"

Rip choked back a sob. "I can't leave them."

Blaster fire erupted not too far away and there were several screams, Savage's soldiers clearing out the last few stragglers.

"Please, Captain!"

Rip felt as if his heart was being torn to pieces. Unable to find the strength to move, he gazed back down at his wife and son, at the bodies of his wife and son wondering how this could have happened, how any of this could be real, desperately wishing he could wake up and find it had all been a nightmare.

More blaster fire erupted, even closer this time. Soon Rip could hear the tread of heavy boots growing nearer.

Suddenly, a streak of light lit up the night shooting across the debris strewn park where Rip was sitting but it wasn't the flash from a soldier's laser rifle. The blast was much too large and aimed towards the soldiers instead of originating from them. It was also very familiar.

Rip looked up to see the Waverider swooping down towards him, engines rumbling, laser cannons firing. It came to a stop nearby hovering only a dozen feet off the ground. Laser fire filled the air as the soldiers opened fire on the ship and Gideon returned the fire cutting them down.

"Captain, please make your way towards the ship."

A surge of adrenaline shot through Rip as his instinct for survival finally kicked in.

He had to get out of there.

The remains of his heart shattered though as he realized the horrific choice he would have to make. He could carry one member of his family but he couldn't carry both. It didn't take him long to decide which one. He knew what Miranda would have wanted.

Leaning forward, Rip placed a kiss on his wife's cold lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

He took the ring from Miranda's finger, and then gathering his son into his arms, stood up and ran towards the Waverider.

Laser fire flew all around him as the soldiers spotted him. Rip did his best to weave back and forth around the debris to present a less easy target but a glancing blast still managed to hit his leg. He stumbled and almost fell but he managed to regain his footing. He clutched his burden tighter to his chest and kept going.

He had almost reached the ship when an explosion behind him pushed him forward and he stumbled once more. It was so close and so loud it left his ears ringing. He risked a glance over his shoulder and saw the place where he'd been, where Miranda had been, was now nothing more than a large crater in the ground.

With no time to process what had happened, Rip turned back around and continued running.

The Waverider had trouble setting down. With all the debris, there was little clear space for Gideon to land in. When the ship finally came down, it rested at a slight angle and the ramp wasn't able to lower all the way stopping a foot from the ground.

More explosions peppered the earth around Rip as he made his last desperate dash. The bombers must have been alerted to the Waverider's presence and were doing their best to destroy her. Rip knew the ship could handle a few blasts but it would not be able to hold up forever.

Reaching the ship, Rip leapt onto the ramp. The moment his feet touched down both the ship and the ramp began to rise. The combination of the ship's movements and the forward momentum of his frantic flight sent Rip tumbling to the ground. He skidded down the ramp and across the cargo bay until his back hit the far wall, Jonas still cradled protectively in his arms.

The ramp door closed and the ship rose higher into the air.

"Gideon, temporal zone," Rip said, breathlessly when able to find his voice.

Explosions and laser blasts continued to shake the Waverider as it flew upward and away from London. When it had reached high enough, it picked up speed, and with one final jolt, jumped into the temporal zone and safety.

Rip breathed out a sigh of relief.

The Waverider's flight smoothed out as it drifted along the shifting energies of the temporal zone and the interior of the ship grew quiet.

Rip stayed lying on the floor listening to the distant rumble of the ship's engines and the wheeze of his laboured breathing. His breathing along with his pounding heart began to calm as the adrenaline left him but as it did so, an empty feeling of despair rose up in his chest to take its place.

In the bright light of the Waverider's cargo bay, Jonas' lips were pale, his face impossibly white.

Rip reached out and brushed a hand across his son's cheek.

Gideon's soft voice broke the silence. "I am sorry, Captain."

Rip didn't reply, his eyes still fixed on his son.

"You should seek treatment in the medbay," Gideon advised gently.

The medbay... A glimmer of hope arose in Rip. Was there a chance? he wondered.

The glimmer of hope became a raging inferno as adrenaline surged through Rip once more. He gathered his son in his arms and tried to stand up but immediately fell back onto his knees as a burning pain shot through his left leg. He had completely forgotten about the blaster wound. He managed to make it to his feet on his second attempt and limped as quickly as he could to the medbay. He placed Jonas on the bed nearest the door.

"Gideon, run a scan."

"Captain..." the A.I. began uncertainly.

"Just do it!" Rip yelled.

The blue light shone down over Jonas' body as Gideon performed the scan.

"No life signs detected."

Rip gazed over the scan results on the diagnostic screen, searching for something, anything. "What about brain activity?"

"No brain activity detected."

"There still has to be something you can do," he said, desperately.

Sadness filled Gideon's voice as she replied. "I'm sorry, Captain. I'm afraid he's been dead too long."

Rip glared up at the ceiling, fury in his eyes. "Then what good are you! You stupid, useless machine. This is my son. My son! You have saved my life countless times. How can you not save his?"

Gideon didn't answer.

Rip paced furiously back and forth across the room. A small table covered in medical instruments sat in the corner of the room. Letting out a cry, he struck at it. The table fell with a crash, the instruments scattering across the floor.

"He's my son!" he yelled again. "My son! And he's dead!"

He stopped and let out a shaky breath, his face crumbling.

"He's dead and I wasn't there to save him. I wasn't there to save him. I wasn't there..."

Rip collapsed onto the floor, sobbing and gasping as tears streamed down his face.

He lay there weeping for what felt like an eternity, time drifting by meaninglessly. Soothing words were offered by Gideon but they failed to reach him.

Eventually, the sobbing stopped and the tears dried up. Rip lay curled on his side, cheek resting on the cold floor, body drained, mind numb.

"I'm sorry, Gideon," he whispered, the croaking voice barely sounding like his own.

"I know," Gideon replied, and then after a beat, added, "I loved them too."

Fresh tears stung Rip's eyes. "I know."

He stayed lying there unmoving, feeling like he would never be able to move again. The world around him seemed distant and unreal.

After several moments of silence, Gideon spoke up once more. "Captain, it would be best to move to the bed. You have injuries which need treatment."

Rip didn't reply, just stared out across the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"You have a blaster wound on your leg, multiple contusions on your back, and are becoming severely dehydrated. You are also suffering from extreme emotional shock. Please, get on the bed so you can be treated."

Rip rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. He knew he should listen to Gideon but he seem to have no strength or willpower left with which to get off the floor, nor could he find it within himself to care.

"Please, Captain," Gideon begged, "for me."

Rip opened his eyes once more.

"Please," Gideon repeated.

Slowly, moving like a man three times his age, Rip turned onto his front and pushed himself up to his knees. Every movement seemed to take a ridiculous amount of effort and his limbs felt weak and shaky. He managed to get to his feet though his injured leg threatened to buckle beneath him once more. Trying not think about anything but what he was attempting to do, he limped over to the bed and collapsed onto it. With his last remaining energy, he reached over and clipped the medical cuff to his wrist.

"Thank you," Gideon said with audible relief.

The blue light of the cellular regenerator shone down and a tingling sensation began in Rip's leg as it began to heal. A heavy drowsiness also came over him.

His eyes widened as he realized what that meant. "Gideon?"

"I'm sorry, Captain," the A.I. replied and her voice sounded truly regretful. "But I believe the sedation is necessary. You require rest."

Rip wanted to argue but he was already starting to drift off. He turned his head so he could see Jonas. His too pale face was the last thing Rip saw before he closed his eyes and fell into unconsciousness.