After a trip to save Stein from his careless parents who, moments after the birth of their son handed him over to Mick and a brief jump to grab baby Jax, we are heading towards some top secret place hidden in time where we can hide our younger selves (plus Ronnie).

Jax actually went on his own rescue trip and came back pretty shaken up. But I guess I would too if I saw my parents. That or I'd try to murder my father for the third time.

"Hey Jax!" I call as I pull out of my harness to follow him out of the room, "You alright?"

But as soon as the words are out of my mouth I know the answer. The tear stains on his dark cheeks give it away.

"I'm fine," he mumbles as he tries to walk away.

"No, you really aren't," I reply leaping forward to cut him off, "You're upset and if you try to keep all this bottled up you're going to explode. So do me a favor and quit saying you're fine. If you don't want to talk to me about this, don't. But I want you to talk to someone."

"I don't want to talk to anyone!" Jax snaps turning away as more tears start to fall, "I want to be alone."

"Alright," I sigh and move out of his way, "But promise me you'll talk to someone!"

Jax nods jerkily before walking swiftly down the hallway towards his room. His heavy footsteps echo in the hallway, growing steadily fainter as he disappears around the corner.

"He's not going to talk to anyone."

I practically jump out of my skin at the voice and clutch my thudding heart as Ronnie walks around from behind me.

"What are you doing out of the-"

"Doesn't matter," Ronnie interrupts, her eyes still focused done the hallway that Jax walked down.

"Yeah it kinda does. Rip's gonna want to know the hole in his security syst-"

"Shut up for a minute and listen," she snaps. Her brown eyes flick to meet mine, "He's about to go down a dark road and he needs someone to talk to."

I narrow my eyes at her.

"Since when did you become a psychiatrist?"

"Since middle school," Ronnie shrugged, "I learned it there and earned a few bucks here and there when idiots came to me for advice. Now scram."

"If I wasn't so worried about Jax, I'd kick your little annoying butt," I mutter to the girl as I turn to run down the hall.

"Sure you would!" She calls back.

A thud and small yelp of pain echoes down the hallway as Ronnie somehow gets thrown magically into a wall.

"JERK!"

"THANK YOU!" I yell back.

It turns out that Jax didn't even go into his room. He just sat down in front of a door and held his head in his hands.

"Hey," I say softly as I sit down beside him.

He glances up at me through wet eyes before trying to wipe his face quickly with the back of his hands. He sniffles loudly and moves to stand but I grab his arm and pull him down.

"Jax listen-"

"Kari, has it crossed your mind that maybe I don't want to listen?" Jax croaks. He yanks his hand free and tries to walk away again, "I don't want help."

I move to stand in front of him again and stare him fiercely in the eye.

"That doesn't mean you don't need it."

Jax stares back at me through torn brown eyes. He's fighting with himself. He doesn't want to show weakness but he needs to talk to someone.

"I-I saw my dad," he finally says weakly as he hangs his head.

I let out a pent up breath and nod for him to continue.

"He was in the delivery room. I guess I never thought-it never crossed my mind-"

"That he would be there too," I finish.

Jax nods and scrubs his face again as another tear falls.

"Kari, i-i never met my dad," he says in a shaky voice, "He died two days after being shipped off to Afghanistan."

More tears leak out of Jax's eyes like faucets and it takes all my will power not to hug him right there.

"I-I coulda told him! Coulda warned him! But I didn't!" Jax says in a broken voice, "And when he dies it's on me!"

I pull him into a tight hug and wrap my arms around his back. My heart is literally breaking seeing him this way. His tears wet my neck as he buries his face into my shoulder.

"Jax," I say, my voice shaking, "Listen to me. His death. Isn't. On. You. It's not your fault and it never was-"

"But-"

"No," I say firmly, "If you start thinking that way, you'll never forgive yourself. So don't do it."

I pull away and Jax looks down at the floor.

"You're a good kid, Jax," I remind softly, "You have a good heart. Don't blame yourself for crap that's not your fault."

Jax nods, turns around and disappears into his room.

I sigh again and turn back to walk back the way I came and accidentally bump into someone.

I glance up and see Snart standing there his arms crossed across his chest. His mouth is pressed downwards in a firm line and his eyes are cold.

"Your face is gonna get stuck like that if you keep frowning," I say tiredly.

He doesn't smile and glances down the hallway where Jax was.

"Why were the two of you down here, alone?" He asks in a barely controlled voice.

My eyes widen in realization of what he's getting at.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I say right away, "We are not-gross Snart, gross. He's like a little brother to me, ugh why would you even think that?"

"Maybe because you're sneaking down here to meet with him?"

"I wasn't sneaking!" I splutter angrily, "I came down here to see if he was okay! He wasn't so we talked!"

Snart continues staring at me with a look I've never seen in him before.

Disgust.

"You're a terrible liar," he mutters.

I gape at him like a dying fish as he turns around and starts stalking off.

"Yes!" I snarl as I grab him by his stupid parka and force him back around, "Yes I am a terrible liar! You got me!"

Snart's eyes narrow as I press on.

"But you're even worse at seeing the truth," I snap, "Because I may be a criminal mastermind-"

Snart's mouth twitches at that.

"But I would never stoop so low and cheat on you," I finish angrily, "Frankly I'm pretty pissed that you would think I would! What do you take me for? Owen Queen?"

"Oliver," Snart corrects as he takes a step closer, eyeing me carefully.

"That's what I said," I say irritably.

"And you're still a terrible liar," Snart comments sarcastically.

I glare at him.

"Oh yeah I'm sure that changed in all of twenty seco-"

Snart cuts me off by sliding a gloved hand into my hair and pulling me close for a kiss.

My statement dies on my tongue as Snart's lips meet mine. A soft sigh escapes me as I melt slightly.

It's so nice to escape reality for a few blissful minutes. To escape the threat of being vaporized in time as a time traveling assassin kills your younger self.

That stark reminder is what brings me sharply back into reality and I quickly pull away from Snart.

He glares at me through his bright irritated blue eyes and suddenly I'm staring right back at baby Snart. Those same eyes that could convey an emotion through unspoken words.

"Sorry," I mutter running a hand through my now slightly tangled blonde hair, "The distraction was nice but-"

"But all good things must come to an end," Snart smiles sarcastically back, he gestures up the hall, "Coming?"

"Yeah," I mumble, feeling disoriented, "I'm coming."

"If you really are coming you're going to have to move those little stumps you call legs."

My senses come back and anger floods my system. My fingers pulse as I clench my hands into fists.

"Just because you're six inches taller than me-"

"Oh I'm sorry," Snart says unapologetically, "Is this a sore spot for you?"

"Is your premature grey hair a soft spot for you?" I reply in a honeyed tone.

Snart's blue eyes glint in the dim light of the hallway.

"If I wanted it to change it I could buy hair dye but if you want to grow you're going to need stilts."

AN-
I am so sorry for the slow updates, everyone. With school starting in 5 days I've got no clue if I'll be able to update. I'm trying to write 2-3 books so I'm having a little trouble and with the lack of creativity it's giving me problems.

I'm sorry everyone for making you wait...☹️

-LM