//LEGENDS OF TOMORROW\\

//YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG TEAM\\

"What book did they read you this time?" The young girl asked from her side of the wall.

"A book full of nursery rhymes, they only read me three though, then they said it was time for bed." The younger one explained while she passed a piece of bread through the small hole in the cement.

"Sing one to me?" She suggested while she grabbed the bread.

The little one began to sing. "Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of posy. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down."

The older one would never tell her, but she found some sort of dark and twisted humour in that song. "It's nice." She commented instead.

"I was thinking of telling mom and dad that I'm sleeping over at Sara's tomorrow and then we could go sleep out in the Carin forest together. I already asked Sara and Laurel and they're willing to cover for us." The older one chewed on the bread while listening, then smiled.

"I'd love to."

Before Erin can finish the memory a knock interrupts her thoughts.

When she tells the person to come in, Stein is revealed at the door. "Is everything alright Ms. Cooper?" He asks the moment he lays eyes on her.

Erin smiles. "Please, just call me Erin, and yes everything's fine."

"Erin, there is no need to lie to me, please talk with me. How did your younger self manage all those bruises and cuts?" He asks.

Stien takes a seat next to Erin on her bed while her head hangs low and her eyes remain on her fiddling hands.

"My dad." She mumbles.

"Your father did that to you?" He asks in disbelief.

Erin doesn't answer his question so he immediately continues.

"I am so sorry Erin, I am always here to talk with you."

Erin nods her head but stays silent for a moment.

When Stein doesn't leave, she talks. "Maybe another time, I'm not ready to revisit it just yet."

"Of course," Stein says in understanding. "Perhaps another time." He stands up but does not leave the room.

Instead, he says "We have already retrieved Jefferson's and Mr. Palmers younger self, I am next to be retrieved and there is no one I trust more than you to pick up younger me."

Erin smiles, "I would be honoured."

The two stand up and head for the door and when they reach the hallway Erin heads right and Martin heads left.

Before Stein is out of view, Erin turns around and yells down the hall. "What about Jax? Don't you trust him most?"

"He's a part of me, he does not count." The professor yells back as he continues walking.

Erin turns back around smiling and begins to walk towards the cargo bay.

***********

"I assume you are the couple who called for an ambulance?" Rip asks the man and woman in the car as Erin and him approach them.

"Yes." The man says, he appears to be holding a baby, wrapped in a small blanket.

"Excellent!" Rip exclaims, "My nurse here will take your baby and we will meet you at the hospital."

The father quickly hands over the baby boy to Erin, who grabs him and walks back to the truck along with Rip.

Before she hops in the truck she can hear the father yell to them, "Wait! What about my wife?"

By then it is too late and Rip is already driving the truck away. While they drive Erin looks down at the young Stein and wipes some blood from his face and eyes. "Aren't you the cutest little boy ever." She cooes at him.

Throughout the ride Erin continues to clean him up and continues to talk to him. "You know, one day you're going to be a very smart boy. Yes you are!" She says in a baby voice.

Erin was 100% sure that by time they reached the Waverider Rip had grown overly annoyed with Erin and her baby talk.

The two boarded the cargo hold with Erin holding Stein while she nodded at Rip saying she was fine without him so he walked off.

She didn't look to young Sara or young Mick, who she knew were already holding babies, instead, she turned to her younger self who was huddled cross-legged in a corner with her head down, her muddied and knotted hair covering her face.

"Hey." Erin says softly as she bends down to mini hers level.

The young brunette looks at her momentarily before letting her head hang down again.

"Look," Erin says as she sits cross-legged as well, still holding the baby in her arms.

"This is baby Martin and he doesn't really have a home right now. He could really use someone right now, and I think that someone he needs right now is you."

By now the young girls head had risen. "How do you know that?" She asks with her small, fragile voice.

"Because he told me." Erin whispers back, as if telling a big secret.

This cause the girl to giggle, and move a bit of hair away from her face, a sign she was beginning to open up.

"And" Erin continues to whisper, "if you take him, I think I can sense some sugar cookies in your future."

This becomes the turning point for the girl as she reaches out for the baby.

Her hair is only partially removed from her face but at least she is looking up.

Erin hands her the baby and teaches her how to hold him.

When the young girl looks down to the baby in her arms, her hair falls back in front to cover her face, but this time, if you look closely, you can see the young girl smiling.

"I'll be right back with your cookies." Erin tells the youngster who is happily talking to baby Martin.

She stands up and makes her way to the kitchen, meeting up with Sara along the way as if it were perfectly timed.

"How're you holding up?" Sara asks.

"Better than I thought I would be." Erin then asks, "You?"

"I'm doing fine." She smiles

"That's because you're looking fine." Erin smirks.

"Wow," Sara laughs, "flirty and has a dark past? Now that's my type of girl."

Erin winks back at her before ordering Gideon to make some sugar cookies.

"Mm sugar cookies, is that what you bribed your younger self with?" Sara asks.

"You bet. It's how i got her to look after baby Stein, i figured they could use eachother for now." Erin explains.

"That's adorable." Sara states as she wraps her arms around Erin's waist from behind.

Erin turns around to face Sara and smiles when the blonde leaves her hands on her waist. Although Sara was a bit taller than Erin, their eyes still met when she looked up.

Erin wraps her arms around Sara's neck and plants a kiss on her lips.

Sara smiles through the kiss and gently pulls away, "You want to train with me?"

Erin smiles back, turning to grab the cookies and then spinning to face Sara again. With a wide smile on her face, Erin says, "I'll be right there."

She passes Sara and jogs down to the cargo hold with the cookies in hand and goes straight towards her younger self who is talking to baby Stein.

Erin sets the plate of sugar cookies down and her younger self looks up at her.

"Babies are fun, aren't they?" Erin says to her younger self.

"They're simple." Her younger self replies. "They don't have any worries and they have a simple life ahead of them."

She grabs a cookie and breaks off a piece of it giving it to the baby. When the cookie touches his lips he opens his mouth and eats the small piece.

"See? He eats like it's so simple, he doesn't have to work for it, just opens his mouth and eats. I wish it were really that simple." The young one says.

"Hey." Erin grabs her attention. Her younger self takes a bite of the cookie and looks up at her.

"Things will get better." She tells her younger self.

"How do you know?"

Erin slides the cookie closers and stand back from her crouching position, "Just trust me. Focus on the simple."

Her younger self doesn't respond and stares back down at baby Stein so Erin leaves the room and joins Sara in an open hallway.

She tosses her a staff and Erin smiles, "Finally." She says excitedly.

Sara smiles back.

"Alright, got any cool moves to show me?" Erin asks.

"You bet." Sara smiles before charging at her.

She raises her staff and brings it down, only Erin blocks the attack.

But Sara isn't finished.

Sara grabs the middle of Erins staff and swings herself towards the ground. Erin goes down while Sara slides on the floor and stands back up.

Erin ends up face-down on the floor. She turns around and stands back up. "Fancy move, but I've got one better." She challenges.

Erin swings the staff at Sara's feet, which she jumps to avoid. But before Sara's feet can touch the ground Erin swings her hand up and knocks her down at the neck.

Not wanting to hurt her girlfriend, Erin attempts to grab Sara before her head hits the ground.

But to both their misfortunes, Erin misses and fails to save Sara. Her head smacks against the ground and makes an echo through the hall.

"Holy shit! Oh my God Sara!" Erin panics.

She kneels down to the blonde on the floor and rolls her over onto her back causing a groan to escape her lips.

"That's a fancy move." Sara tries to joke.

"Sara, I am so sorry. I meant to catch you but I missed." Erin continues to panic.

She helps Sara slowly sit up, while she winces as she sits up, Erin continues to apologize.

"Looks like you literally swept me off my feet."

"Sara please stop, I'm so sorry are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little headache." Erin continues to help Sara up, who stumbles a bit and leans on Erin for support.

"Here, let me see." Erin says as Sara slowly opens her eyes, holding onto her head with one hand.

She moves Sara's hand gently to the side to reveal a small gash on her forehead with blood slowly dripping from it.

"Oh Sara I am so so sorry. I didn't mean to do this."

How could she let this happen? She was suppose to protect Sara and make her happy and all she has done is hurt her and let her down.

"E, really it's okay. It's not a big deal, stuff like this happens sometimes. It's okay."

"Here, let me take you to the medbay." Erin offers.

Sara shakes her head, wincing in pain a little. "I'll be fine, I just need to sleep it off."

Erin helps Sara to her room, apologizing every once in a while.

They reach Sara's room and before she lays down she slowly turns to look at Erin.

"Lay here with me?" She asks in which Erin immediatly nods yes.

Erin sits down and leans her back against the wall while Sara lays down on the bed, resting her head on Erins lap.

Lightly, and trying not to touch the cut, Erin strokes Sara's hair while she falls asleep.

When she knows that Sara is asleep, she speaks up quietly.

"I was going to ask you to move in with me but i don't think i deserve that now."

***********

A little bit goes by before someone knocks on Sara's door.

Sara stirs and slowly sits up saying "Come in." in the process.

Ray is there when the doors open and he begins to talk.

"You might want to be here for this." He tells them.

The girls don't get time to respond as Ray has already left, Sara standing up after him and pulling Erin to her feet.

"How's your head?" Erin asks her.

"Better, the headaches gone."

Erin sigh in relief, knowing that she looks, seems, and feels alright.

She's about to tell her sorry again, but stops herself feeling as if she's said it enough times already.

They follow after Ray and into the bridge where the rest of the team is waiting.

"What are we doing?" Sara asks as the two girls walk into the bridge.

"We're dropping your younger selves off at a safe house." Rip explains.

He moves towards the cargo bay, where everyone's younger selves remain.

When they get there, he begins to usher them out, even Erin's younger self who seems to have taken a very big liking to baby Stein.

Erin smiles at the young pair and catches Stein smiling at them as well as they all walk off the Waverider.

They all walk out into a beautiful gravel pathway, lined with flowers and bushes all leading up to a big beautiful brick house. The house sort of reminds Erin of something out of Mrs. Perigrines Home for Peculiar Children.

An unfamiliar woman walks towards them coming from the house.

"I've been waiting." The woman adds, "It's good to see you."

Rip nods, "It's good to see you too, Mother."

***********

The children run out the door in a hurry to go play. "Don't forget to take your boots off before you come back in!" Rip's Mother yells after them.

Erin sits on the arm of the chair Sara's sitting in, sipping her tea, even though she doesn't actually like tea.

She just doesn't want to be rude.

A little boy sneaks into the room, trying to steal food off the platter. He looks familiar with his brown jacket and his brown hair, but Erin can't place him.

"Oi!" Rip's Mother slaps the boys hand away before ushuring him outside. "Off you go."

"So, this is where Rip plans on keeping our younger selves." Jax looks around while Rip's Mother is bringing the boy outside.

"If all goes according to plan we'll only be here a few minutes, then presumably never remeber." Rip explains to the group.

"When's the last time anything went according to plan?" Kendra asks with a slight laugh.

Sara then adds "I don't think there was a last time."

"I really would sit up if i were you." Rip says to Jax. "She'll kill you if she catches you sloutching."

"Funny how you never mentioned having a mother." Snart points out.

Rip's mother walks back in and Jax immediatly sits up straighter causing Erin to chuckle.

"Adoptive mother." She corrects.

She holds up a pot, "Now can i interest you in some tea?"

Kendra, Ray, Erin and Jax hold out their cups towards her while the others remain still. "Thankyou." The four say.

Rips mother then turns to him, "So Michael"

All of the team is surprised and Kendra is the one to inturupt and ask "Michael?"

Rip nods. "That's me, my birth name."

"The Time Masters insist on the adoption of new identities for their protection." His mother continues to explain.

This leads Erin to question "How do you know so much about the Time Masters."

"I work for them."

Erin almost chokes on her tea and her eyes turn green but Rip's mother is quick to calmy assure "Oh, don't worry, my true loyalty is to my children."

Erin's eyes fade to normal as she allows his mother to continue.

As the woman speaks Erin feels a hand on her forearm and immediatly recognizes Sara's touch.

"The Time Masters fill their ranks with children, orphans pulled from throughout history. When Michael arrived at the refuge he had nothing but the clothes on his back. There's a reason it's called a refuge, and a reason it exists in a secret location in history. The Time Masters will never think to look for you hear."

"Thank you for your help." Erin speaks up, knowing it will not be easy watching over her younger self.

Snart, of course, has to ruin the nice moment. "Look, i know i make a gorgeous baby, but i should warn you, you've got your hands full with me."

Rips mother tosses a look towards the Brit, "Believe me you're not the first tough case to arrive at my door."

Erin raises an eyebrow in suspicion but decides not to push the matter any further.

After a small chat, the team all scatters, checking on their younger selfs and then proceeding to leave for the Waverider.

Erin finds her younger self seated in a bay window in one of the upstairs room.

She's leaning against the wall, looking out as the other children play while she rocks a sleeping Stein in her arms.

If Erin had to guess, her younger self hadn't put the baby down since she got him.

"You know, there's cribs he can go in, you can go outside to play." Erin startles her younger self.

The little one jumps causing the baby to stir but the issue is quickly resolved with a few rocks back and forth.

Her younger self looks up to see who it is, then reverts her gaze down to the sleeping baby again.

"No," she tells adult Erin, "I'd rather stay here, i like Martin way more than the kids out there."

"How do you know that?" Erin cocks her head, knowing exactly what her younger self is thinking but not openly admiting.

"They're too complicated." She makes up the excuse. "You told me to focus on the simple, from here i can do that, and it's nice."

Even though Erin knows there is much more to the story than that, she accepts the answer along with the slight smile she see's on her younger self.

"Very well then, i'll be back soon, you can trust the nice lady in the blue, take my word for it."

The young brunette doesn't say anything allowing Erin to leave and meet up with Sara on her way out.

"How's your younger self?" The panther asks.

Sara looks at her with the most beautiful smile one has ever seen, "Worried about her dad, wanting to get home, but she'll survive. Yours?"

"Avoiding people, what else is new."

Sara chuckles and the two walk back through the garden in silence.

They make a silent agreement to head towards Erin's room and the two walk together through the halls.

The silence is broken by Sara only when they're through the doors.

She immediatly asks "Why don't you think you deserve to have me move in with you?"

The confrontation literally takes Erin aback as she stumbles a few steps and stutters. "W-what?"

"When i was falling asleep," Explains Sara, "I heard you talking to me, saying you were going to ask me to move in with you but you didn't deserve it now, why?"

"Y-you heard that?" Erin sits on her bed in disbelief and answers "oh" when Sara tells her yes.

Sara sits next to her and places both her hands onto Erin's leg. "Talk to me, please."

Before speaking Erin closes her eyes and shakes her head to ride them of possible tears.

"I hurt you, i tried a move that i knew was risky and i couldnt save you in time and i hurt you." Erin explains so fast it was almost inaudible.

"So you shouldn't live with someone who hurts you. It's not right. It's not fair. You don't des-"

Suddenly lips wer being pressed against hers.

Erin stops speaking and it takes her a moment to realize what is truley happening before she closes her eyes and melts into the kiss.

All of her unclam nerves retreating.

"Yes." Sara says after breaking the kiss.

"Yes what?" Erin asks. She doesn't believe it to be the answer to Sara moving in but once Sara confirms her theory she smils and her eyes water with tears of joy.

"Really?" She cries.

"Erin, you could never hurt me enough to make me want to leave. I'm here forever. And that's a promise."

The small speech makes Erin's eyes well up even more and she returns the promise and throws herself into a hug with Sara.

"All members please report to the main deck." Rip inturupts their heart felt moment.

"God can't we get one happy moment around here." Sara yells to the roof, causing Erin to laugh and her tears to dissapear.

"Come on, roomie." Sara laughs.

She grabs Erin's hand and the two walk to the main deck with their never ending smiles.

"What is it Captain?" Ray asks as him and Kendra walk through the opposite doors Sara and Erin are walking through.

"We have recieved a video transmission."

The rest of the team joins them and all gather behind Rip who is starting at a black video.

"From who?"

Erins question is answered by Gideon, who states "The Pilgrim."

"Play it, Gideon." Rip instructs.

The Pilgrim shows up on the screen and begins to speak.

"This message is for Rip Hunter. I'm going to make this very quick and very simple. If i can't find you, i can find those you love."

A picture of a young woman shows up and out of the corner of her eye Erin sees Snart straighten, and she guesses that must be his sister.

Another picture of a young woman pops up on the screen and Ray's back straightens, "Anna." he whispers.

Sara's dad shows up as well and Erin slips her hand back into Sara's giving it a quick squeeze.

Now it's Sara's turn to return the favour when Carly pops up on the screen.

An older woman appears as well which Erin's guesses by Stein's reaction is his wife.

Lastly, an African American man in an army outfit appears on screen with the Pilgrim next to him.

"Dad!" Jax yells.

The Pilgrim pushes him aside so it is just her on screen. "All of them will suffer and die because of you!" She sneers.

"Your family, friends, anyone you've ever cared about unless you surender your younger selves to me."

"So she can erase you all from history." Rip clarifies.

The pilgrims speech continues. "If it's any comfort you won't feel a thing, as for your loved ones, i cannot promise the same thing."

The screen dissapears signaling the end of the message.

Erin turns to Sara with a worried look while Sara tries to hide her worry, but Erin can see right through it.

Rip pounds his fist on the table then turns his head upward. "Gideon, i take it that the Pilgrim's transmission included a carrier freaquency in which she can be contacted?"

Gideon replies with a yes and Rip says to hail her.

The screen above the console is balnk for a few seconds until the Pilgrim shows up looking pissed. "Captain Hunter." She sneers.

"Look, i'm going to make this easy."

She cuts him off, "I already have. The lives of your team's nearest and dearest for their younger selves."

Rip shakes his head.

"And i'm going to counter that demand with an offer of my own. I will surrender myself if you spare the lives of my crew and their loved ones."

The Pilgrim laughs, "A noble gesture, but worthless. My directive is to eliminate your team, not just you.

"Yes well i'm not talking about me now. I'm offering you me in the past. Rip Hunter before he became a Time Master. Eliminate him, and this team will never have been."

This stuns the whole team, why would Rip give himself up? There is so many other ways they could go about this other than killing their captain.

"If this is some kind of trick," Rip cuts her off, "this is not trick, enough people have died at my expense. Gideon will send you the location."

The Pilgrim dissapears and Rip turns to look at his stunned team. "And you, Mr. Snart are about to get your wish, you're going to meet my younger self."

A/N So i hope a 4000 word chapter makes up for the fact that i haven't updated in so long.

Originally i was going to finish the Pilgrim episode this chapter but it was taking too long so it's going to take one more chapter to finish this episode.

I just recently finished my Superflash vs. Karamel book called Running Home To You so if you're looking for a new book to read go check that one out!

I know this is still a long time away but I've already started on a season 2 book so there is for sure going to be a sequel.

Also Legends got renewed for a season 5 yay!!!!!!!!

That's all I've got for now, hope y'all liked the chapter.

Over and Out Superfriends!