Work Text:
Disclaimer: I'm eloping with Mick Rory. So much for disclaimers.
~~~~~~~~~~
Mick said one word.
"Run."
So they did.
After their time in the "wild" west, they discovered that an assassin known as "The Pilgrim" was going to try to kill their past selves.
Rip suggested they kidnap their younger selves to keep them safe.
There were the requisite "Terminator" jokes, but those got old pretty quickly as the seriousness of the situation became apparent.
Rip told Gideon to find their younger selves but he wasn't specific, so the children were taken from various years; instead of a group at one specific age (which would have made things much simpler) they were random.
After overhearing the adults having a bit of conversation, the children were confused as to why all their names were the same.
While everyone was trying to come up with an explanation, Jax simply said that's the way it was.
Seven year old Rip, nine year old Jax and 10 year olds Sara, Kendra and Ray accepted that; 12 year old Martin wasn't sure but went along with it and his fellow 12 year olds Leonard and Mick really didn't give a shit.
Rip didn't think it was a good idea to keep the children aboard the Waverider, and Gideon managed to find an abandoned house, so they settled there.
~~~~~~~~~~
It should have been an easy task....
Within five minutes young Leonard (who insisted on "Leo") and young Mick ("It's Micky, 'cause that's cooler") nearly got into a fistfight arguing over who was taller; apparently at 12 they were the same size.
Len figured that Mick hit some kind of MAJOR growth spurt between 12 and 16, because by the time Len met him in juvie, Mick towered over him by a good nine inches.
Young Jax hit young Martin for no apparent reason.
Young Ray tried to kiss young Kendra, who called him a "jerk" and twisted his arm until he cried.
Little Rip, the youngest of them all, walked up to young Sara and simply said, "You have spots on your face."
"They're freckles," she told him.
"I think they make you look like a witch."
Young Sara sniffled and looked like she was going to cry.
"Stop it, all of you," Kendra said calmly, smiling at them - they all ceased whatever they were doing. "That's good. Now, we'll be right back, so you need to behave."
Eight heads nodded.
The adults stepped outside for a while to discuss the situation.
In the short time they were gone, young Sara took apart a piece of scientific equipment.
Young Martin convinced her she would go to jail for breaking it ("They might even give you the electric chair") and young Sara was sniffling again when she couldn't put it back together.
Leo figured he'd destroy the evidence and trashed it with a hammer-like tool. When that didn't work he gave little Rip a malicious glare and said they'd blame him.
Little Rip hid behind the couch, terrified as young Martin gleefully described how the electric chair worked.
And then there was Micky, who had noticed adult Mick fingering his Zippo and managed to pickpocket him - thankfully their older selves returned just as Micky was about to set fire to a chair in the other room...and to young Ray, who had been gagged and tied to it. Apparently young Ray had put young Jax in the closet and made him cry, and that had pissed Micky off.
The other children had been busy with their own things and hadn't even noticed.
Young Jax couldn't stand older Rip and gave him a swift kick in the shin.
Young Martin called his older self "Gramps" and kept asking how old he was - "Are you as old as Methuselah?" - and asking if he was going to die soon.
Young Ray kept teasing young Jax, so of course Micky, who had taken a liking to the younger version of Jax, decided he hated young Ray "more than mother fucking broccoli!" And since adult Mick wouldn't give him back the lighter, Micky kept chasing young Ray and trying to punch him. Mick got in the way of one punch and due to the height difference Micky punched his older self in the balls.
Young Jax ran into the other room and Ray went after him, carrying him back; young Jax bit him on the arm.
"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Mick roared, which scared them all into submission. "Now," he loomed over all of them, "you're all going to be good little boys and girls and go to bed. Or else."
"It's too early," young Martin piped up. "And where's the TV? Batman comes on tonight."
"There is no more Batman, Marty." Mick seemed to revel in telling him that.
"I hate Marty; it's Martin."
"Okay, Martin, but that doesn't change the facts. He was cancelled," Mick looked malevolent and his voice dropped to its most threatening tone, "permanently."
The house only had two rooms, and being they needed to keep an eye on the children, Gideon provided sleeping bags for them so they could all stay together.
~~~~~~~~~~
There was a fireplace, so of course Mick started a fire, and the kids were arranged so that the younger Mick was furthest away from it; Mick and Len were both keeping an eye on him.
Young Kendra initiated a game of 'What do your parents do' and she went first. "My dad's a banker and my mom's a teacher," she said happily, turning to young Sara.
"My mom left us, but my dad's okay," young Sara said softly, "and my sister's kinda cool and I love her."
Sara smiled, remembering the days when she and Laurel actually got along.
"My mom's a babysitter," young Jax announced.
"What about your dad?" Young Kendra was curious.
"They're divorced, but I get to see him on the weekends." The little boy grinned. "He's a chef and he cooks for me."
A huge smile plastered Jax's face. "Lasagna."
"That's my favorite!" Young Jax grinned at him.
"I bet it is," Jax nodded to him.
"Me and my brother don't live at home," young Ray said. "We go to boarding school. When we go home for the holidays our parents usually have other plans and we stay with the nanny." He stared at the floor. "They never do anything with us, unless there's some kind of gala, which is like a big celebration. Then they make us dress up so they can show us off."
Ray shifted in his chair, looking a bit uncomfortable.
Kendra took his hand in hers and squeezed it, giving him a smile.
"I don't know who my dad is and I don't care," young Martin said wistfully. "My mom and I live in a commune in California. As long as I get my schoolwork done she lets me do whatever I want." He was obviously proud. "She smokes grass and we hang out with The Byrds and The Grateful Dead."
"Why would you hang out with birds and dead people?" Young Kendra asked him, very confused.
"They're bands, stupid," young Sara told her. "My dad listens to them."
"Why would you smoke grass?" Young Jax asked.
"Something you do not need to know about," Jax answered him.
"We're going to Portland next week for an anti-war protest." Young Martin made a peace sign. "Ban the bomb in Vietnam."
"What's Vietnam?" Young Sara asked.
"It's where the war is happening," young Martin told her. "Don't you know anything?"
"Generation gap," Martin sighed.
"HUGE generation gap," Sara nodded.
"My parents are dead," little Rip said out of the blue. "I'm going to train to be a Time Master."
"Yes," Rip nodded, "and we don't need to talk about your training." He knew the other children wouldn't understand it.
Young Sara turned to Leo. "What do your parents do?"
Without thinking Leo blurted, "My mother eats Fruit Loops with bourbon." He didn't seem to care about that; he acted as if it was perfectly normal. "My dad hits her when she mouths off and he kicks the shit out of me too, but mostly when I get in the way of him hitting her." His mouth snapped shut and he looked a little frightened when he realized he had revealed that particular bit of information.
"It's okay," Len assured him. "He won't find out you told."
"I got a sister, her name is Lisa," Leo smiled a little, "and even though she craps in a diaper, she's not so bad." But the smile was quickly replaced with something darker. "When she cries, dad tells me to make her shut up."
Mick was in tune with his partner and placed a hand on Len's shoulder. He knew how much those memories hurt.
"My dad can arrest him," young Sara said, "because he's a policeman."
"Your dad's a pig?" Young Martin's mouth dropped open.
"No he's not!"
Young Martin suddenly raised his fist and shouted, "Down with the pigs!"
All eyes were on Martin, who shrugged. "It was the 60s and mom and her friends were a bit...overly involved."
Leo was talking again. "I'm gonna kill him one day."
"Then my daddy will arrest you." Young Sara stuck her tongue out at him.
"Fuck you."
"Ooh!" Young Sara jumped up and pointed at Leo. "He said a bad word!"
"Fuck you fuck you fuck you!" Leo repeated.
That actually made Len cheer up, and he and Sara looked at each other, both covering their mouths, both clearly about to start laughing.
"You need to have your mouth washed out with soap!" Young Sara yelled at him and then she turned her eyes on Mick. "You'll wash his mouth out with soap, right Mister Mick?"
Before he could answer, young Kendra stood up and walked over to Len. "I think you're pretty - for a boy, I mean."
"I know," Len answered rather smugly.
"You're supposed to say thank you," she tsk'd. "You need to be taught manners."
"You're not the first to say that," Mick snickered.
"I wouldn't talk," Len sighed. "Miss Manners would have a nervous breakdown if she met you."
"I don't care though," young Kendra added with a soft sigh, "and I wanna marry you."
Len stole a look at Kendra, who was sticking her finger in her mouth and mock-gagging.
Young Sara walked over to Mick and yanked at his shirt. "Mister Mick, do you have a wife?"
He leaned over so he could meet her eyes and glared at her, giving her his most menacing scowl. "No."
This had absolutely no effect on her. "Good!" She happily nodded. "Because you're my knight in shining armor and I'm going to marry you."
"We can have a double wedding!" Young Kendra added.
Sara made a motion with her hands as if she was hanging herself. "The apocalypse is nigh and none will be saved."
Leo got up and brought his face an inch away from young Sara's. "You can't marry him, you slut."
"What's a slut?" Young Jax asked.
Before anyone could answer him, young Sara fired back with, "Why not? It's not your business!"
Leo pursed his lips. "Because I'm gonna marry him!"
Mick, who had just taken a gulp of water, promptly choked and spit it all over himself.
Len was unperturbed, although he did crack a smile - and batted his eyes at Mick.
Young Sara stomped her foot. "Boys can't marry boys!"
Leo scrunched up his face, balled his right hand into a fist and swung - it hit the palm of Len's hand with a resounding smack.
"You don't hit girls," Len told his younger self.
"Fine," Leo nodded, "then I'll hit you." And before Len knew it, Leo brought up his left fist and punched Len in the face.
"Shit!" Len grabbed his cheek. "I forgot about that mean left hook!"
"Now you hurt his pretty face!" Young Kendra kicked Leo in the leg.
"I think you're a stupid girl." Young Martin shoved young Kendra, who fell into young Jax, landing on top of him; young Jax began to bawl.
Kendra and Jax went over to make sure he was okay.
"You made him cry!" Young Kendra shoved young Martin back and he stumbled and stepped on young Ray's hand.
Young Ray jumped up and tackled young Martin.
A free-for-all had begun, yet Leo, who had started it, backed away.
Micky just saw an opportunity and went straight for the fireplace.
~~~~~~~~~~
The adults finally got the kids separated, and young Sara was tugging on Mick's shirt again.
"Mister Mick! Mister Mick!"
Mick was fed up with her. "WHAT?!"
This time he frightened her and she took a step back, her eyes welling with tears.
Sara knelt before her younger self. "Ignore him, sweetie," she huffed at Mick, "and what do you need to say?"
Young Sara pointed across the room. "Micky's playing with the fire."
Every eye in the room turned to see young Mick Rory holding a piece of wood like a torch.
~~~~~~~~~~
"You all suck, especially you grown-ups." Micky held the torch towards the floor. "We're all going to burn."
Being Kendra did not know about Mick's past, she innocently asked, "I'm sure your parents would miss you."
"Definitely not the right thing to say," Len muttered.
"Why not?" Kendra asked.
Her question was answered with Micky's next statement: "I got foster parents."
"Did your real parents die?" Young Ray asked.
"Oh, this is just getting better," Mick said aloud.
Micky fixed young Ray with the hard stare of his older self. "I burned them in the house; them and my brother." He returned his gaze to the flame. "Then I got put in a hospital and the doctors said I was wired wrong. Eventually I fooled them all and they let me out. Assholes."
"I'm sure your foster parents care about you," Kendra spoke softly, trying to calm him down.
Mick rubbed his hands over his face. "Could somebody please shut her the hell up?"
"I'm trying to help," Kendra told him.
He replied with, "You're making things worse."
"I don't understand how I...." Kendra was interrupted by Micky.
"They're in it for the monthly check, because I never get new clothes or nothin' like they're supposed to use the money for." He laughed, but it wasn't happy. "But they got a new fucking TV and some new appliances. I get squat."
Mick felt his whole body shaking; he still felt anger, even after more than three decades.
"Last week they called my foster bitch into school about my grades." Micky got lost in the flame again. "On the way home she smacked me and told me I was a worthless piece of shit; says I'm gonna end up in jail, because that's where dummies go."
Rip felt a brief pain in his chest; he now had a much better understanding of how deeply his "IQ" remark had cut into Mick.
"And foster daddy?" Micky began to grind his teeth. "He comes to my room at night and does stuff that adults aren't supposed to do to kids."
Len felt bile rising in his throat; Mick had never told him that.
"When I get bigger," Micky narrowed his eyes, "I'm gonna cut his throat."
Both young Kendra and young Sara started to cry and young Jax joined them.
Leo was edging towards Micky and Jax tried to grab him. "LEO!"
But it was too late; Leo was already standing beside Micky. "I'll help you kill him."
"Nobody offers anything without a price." Micky was adamant about that. "I figured that out for myself already."
"My price is that we take out my old man also."
Micky turned to him. "You wanna burn your old man?"
"No, burnings too good for him; too quick and easy." Leo's eyes and tone of voice were like ice. "I'll blow out his kneecaps and stuff him in a freezer - a slow and painful death in the cold."
"All I ever wanted was one fucking friend." Micky's attentions were back on the flame. "But every kid is afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of you." Leo reached for the torch.
Micky held it away from him. "You'd be friends with me, even though I burn shit?"
"Yeah, I would." Leo waved his arm around the room. "But if we die now, Micky, it won't happen. And your foster father and my old man, they'll both get away with it." He wrapped his hand around the torch. "Give it to me." Once he had a hold of it, Leo tossed it back in the fireplace.
And if anyone was holding their breath, they let it out.
"I think I just aged 10 years," Ray said, holding Kendra close.
"Stay away from the fire," Mick warned his younger self.
"Screw you," Micky sneered, but he did head to the other side of the room, sitting at the table, lips pursed, staring out the window.
~~~~~~~~~~
It took a while to get the children calmed, but eventually they were all settled.
Mick's expression told everyone to stay away from his younger self, who had remained in his seat, unmoving.
Leo finally walked over to him.
Micky looked at him and rolled his eyes. "You got your way, so you don't have to pretend to be my friend anymore."
"You're right; I don't want to be friends."
The adults grew so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
"I knew that," Micky shook his head. "It'll never change."
Leo took the seat next to him. "I think we should be partners."
Micky's eyes grew wide. "Partners?"
"Yep." Leo gave Micky a wry smile. "Partners. That's better than friends."
"I didn't think it actually existed," Martin mused aloud, looking from Len to Mick.
"What?" Mick asked him.
"Destiny, gentlemen." He glanced at the two boys. "I think fate had a plan for you all along."
"Now," Leo perked up with a big grin, "how about after we take care of those two abusive pricks we rob a bank?"
"I rest my case," Martin chuckled.
"Partners also need sleep." Kendra made an attempt to move Mick, but he shrugged away.
"Don't touch me, lady."
"Chill out, Micky," Leo told him.
"Just this one time," Micky slid off the chair. "You're kinda bossy, Leo."
"No more Leo." Leo gave him that icy stare. "It sounds like a little kid. I think I want to be called Len now."
"Fine by me, Lenny."
"I said Len."
"I heard ya, Lenny."
Young Len just rolled his eyes.
Micky eyed Kendra. "You got a nice ass." He promptly smacked it.
Kendra turned her eyes to Mick.
"Believe me," he said, "I," Mick emphasized the word and pointed to himself, "have absolutely no interest in it."
To keep order, the adults took turns sleeping throughout the night.
Mick got less sleep than the rest of them because young Sara kept waking him up to describe more ideas for their wedding.
"For the 100th time," he said, exasperated, "I'm not marrying you."
"I think a grey tuxedo would be best."
"I'm never going to live this down," Sara muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~
The assassin had been formidable, but the team defeated her. It had been a tough battle; they were all nursing injuries, and would be - even with Gideon's help and the advanced medical bay - for quite a while.
There were two near (fatal) casualties.
The children had been safe inside the Waverider until little Rip wandered out and was targeted by the assassin; the legends went for him, but The Pilgrim was too quick and already had him targeted.
Young Mick Rory nearly got himself killed when he went after him - the boy who didn't care about anybody picked the smaller child up and ran him back inside, shielding little Rip with his own body. He lived, but got sliced by a weapon across the abdomen.
Young Leonard Snart refused to leave his side, and held his hand, until his "new partner" was okay.
Thankfully Gideon was able to heal the wound and make him whole again.
The children's memories would be obscured by 22nd century technology.
Micky was last. "Am I going to remember Leo? I mean, Len."
"Don't worry about it; things have a way of working out." Mick took a breath. "And if it'll make you feel better, in about eight years you're going to find that bastard and you will cut his throat."
"And then go to jail for life."
"That won't happen either." Mick forced his younger self to look at him. "You won't burn him, so they never know it's you."
"I can deal with that." Micky eyed him with curiosity. "How do you know all this shit?"
"Just trust me, kid."
They then made eight trips to different times to drop off their younger selves.
"He won't remember." Mick was crestfallen as they returned Micky to his foster parent's home. "It was all for nothing."
"I think he turned out okay." Jax gave him a playful punch on the arm, got a deadly glare from Mick, sort-of-smiled, and disappeared down the corridor.
When it was Leo's turn, Mick said to Len, "I don't want to take Leo back to him."
"Like you said, Mick," Len told him with a small smile, "things have a way of working out." His smile faded as he saw Lewis' car approaching the house.
"He'll get his soon, Lenny; you know that. C'mere." Mick pulled Len into a hug; he was the only person to ever receive one from Mick.
Len wrapped his arms around Mick. "Now I know why you went after your foster father."
"I got over the pain." He laid Len's head against his shoulder. "With a little help."
They stood like that for a moment, until they heard footsteps.
Then they split apart as if they'd been burned.
~~~~~~~~~~
They were all sitting in the kitchen after their Jax-cooked lasagna dinner, when Rip entered with a bottle of whiskey.
"I've been saving this for a special occasion, and now seems like the right time."
"You've been holding out on us, Rip." Len smiled sweetly, opening the bottle. "I've killed men for lesser known reasons."
Sara got glasses and shots were poured all around. For a change the Professor didn't say a word when Jax received one.
Len took a guzzle from the bottle and passed it to Mick, who had a tumbler and filled it.
"See, I have manners."
Ray announced, "When I have kids, I'm staying home with them." He smiled at Kendra, who smiled back.
The Professor took out a joint and searched his pockets.
Mick gave him a lighter.
The joint got passed around.
Ray nearly hacked up a lung and Jax was skipped.
"She's still around, my mother," Martin said, "and she owns three pot dispensaries in Oregon."
"Oh, Mister Mick," Sara sighed theatrically, "you're so strong and so brave and you are SO my knight in shining armor."
"And you're the prettiest boy I've ever seen." Kendra rested her chin on her palm and gave Len a longing look. "Our babies will be beautiful."
The two women burst into laughter.
"I still think you're a slut," Len said to Sara, before he tipped the bottle and drank again.
"And you still have no manners," Kendra said, nodding in a 'so there!" motion.
Sara blew a raspberry and followed with, "Fuck you fuck you fuck you!"
"Hey, Mister Mick," Len passed the bottle to Sara, "you need to shove a bar of soap up her ass."
Sara leaned over the table and patted his cheek. "That gets you an additional fuck you and an eat shit and die."
"Sorry, Lance, I don't do requests."
After a while the room slowly emptied out, leaving Len, Mick and Rip.
"Well, this has been a strange time." Rip stood up. "After meeting your younger self, I feel I must truly apologize to you, Mister Rory, for referring to your IQ as meat."
"On behalf of my younger self I accept it." Mick nodded to him. "But grown up me still thinks you're an asswipe."
"Of course you do." Rip smiled at him. "And on behalf of my younger self, thank you for saving...me. As far as I am concerned, you have already earned the title of legend. And hero." He was halfway out of the kitchen when he turned around. "For another time, and just so you know, I have another bottle of whiskey in my quarters."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Did he give me a compliment?" Mick wondered aloud.
Len nodded. "Hell just froze over." He pulled out another joint. "Stein should not leave his stash lying out in the open."
Mick tossed him the lighter. "Fire it up."
They passed it back and forth, not speaking, until Len broke the silence. "You still want to watch the world burn?"
Mick inhaled, feeling the heat on the tips of his fingers; he ignored it. "Chronos saw it burn. It wasn't...I thought it would be different." He tossed what was left of the joint. "I saw things no human being should ever be permitted to see and live to remember."
"Yeah." Len just nodded again. He may have been smarmy about it and seemingly uncaring, but there was no way even Captain Cold could remain unaffected by the devastation he knew awaited the future.
"Are we going soft, Len?"
"We could put Raymond in a body cast; that would answer the question." Len sighed. "Maybe we're just getting old."
"Speak for yourself, Snart; I'm still 29."
"In your fucking dreams, Rory."
"Hey, Len, why the fuck would you want to marry me?"
It took Len a minute to understand the question; then he remembered what his younger self had announced. "I'm gay, and I knew it back then," he flat out told Mick, "and I don't mean that as 'happy'."
"You're not gay." Mick scoffed at that. "I've known you 30 years and I've seen you out with women. I've seen you hire a zillion hookers."
"All I ever did was sleep with them," Len explained, "and I mean sleep. Do you know how much extra I had to shell out so they'd keep their mouths shut?"
"I never saw it; I should have noticed."
"Don't kick yourself over it. You wouldn't have; I learned to be a pro at hiding it early on. I don't think Lewis would have been overly thrilled about it." Len didn't have to ask if Mick cared; he knew his partner well enough to know for a fact Mick wouldn't. "Not even Lisa knows."
"We should try it together," Mick suggested as he stood up. "It might be fun."
"Try what?"
"You and me. You know - together."
"I know you don't do guys." Len got to his feet. "You left a trail of broken bodies in Iron Heights over that."
"Maybe it took me 30 years to figure things out."
"Maybe you're having a mid-life crisis," Len pointed out. "Or maybe it's the weed."
"Or maybe I'm flexible and I'm just now getting a clue."
"That would imply that you're bisexual."
"Or maybe 'Snart-Sexual'," Mick cracked.
"I think Stein's shit slowed my brain down," Len said, "because I know I should have some witty retort or brilliant pun in response to that."
"Maybe we should figure it out." Mick headed out of the kitchen and turned his head to Len...and blew him a kiss.
~~~~~~~~~~
Four hours - one blow job (Len went down on Mick), a rim job (Mick nearly passed out from the pleasure), fucking (Mick topped), a spanking (Len was on the receiving end), round two (Len topped), the discovery of hot spots (Len liked his nipples teased; Mick moaned when Len blew in his ear), their version of romantic conversation ("You got a sweet ass." "Did your cock take steroids?" "Fuck me you bastard!" "It's called your prostate." "Did you just bite me?"), Rock, paper, scissors for top in round three (Mick won, but neither got hard because they just couldn't go again so soon) - and one shower later they were lying in bed while Len tried (again) to excavate Mick's tonsils.
Mick gasped for air. "Gotta breathe, Lenny."
"Why?" Len went for more, mapping Mick's mouth with his tongue, while his hand grabbed Mick's cock and stroked it, feeling it swell. "Somebody's eager to go again."
"My brain says no," Mick took his hand away, "but my dick didn't get the memo yet."
"Then we go for another round." Len rolled on top of him. "You don't have to move, Mick; you can just lay there and enjoy me."
"I've enjoyed you enough." Mick groaned, avoiding Len's lips. "I'm 46 fucking years old and you're 44. You taking Viagra or something?"
"It's all you, Mick." Len blew hot breath in Mick's ear and licked at the lobe. "And not for two more months; I'm still 43."
"I can't." Mick pushed him off. "You'll break it."
Len conceded (reluctantly) and made himself at home in Mick's arms. "I think Leo loved Micky."
"And I think Mick loves Len."
"You mean Leo," Len corrected.
"I know what I said."
It took a moment for Len's brain to get the message. "Huh - what?"
"Made ya speechless, Len?"
"No." Len began to kiss his way down Mick's body. "And I think Len loves Mick."
"That makes me happy," Mick said softly. "I saw it in his eyes, when he looked at Leo."
Len stopped and looked up at Mick. "What?"
"You were trying to figure out why I wanted this now." Mick looked a bit sad. "Micky was in love with Leo, but he never could have admitted it; he would have seen it as being weak. I can though, and all I keep thinking is we've wasted so many fucking years."
Len returned his attentions to Mick's body. "Let's not waste anymore, Mick."
"I'm too tired, Len." Mick took a deep breath. "You're gonna kill me."
"Death by sex." Len licked Mick's inner thigh and nipped at the skin. "Can you think of a better way to go?"
"So we try for round four?"
"More like 3.5."
"I want tulips at my funeral."
FIN