[Chapter 13]

A bright light devastatingly makes me slowly regain consciousness from my delightful and dreamless sleep. I turn my head into my pillow to shield my face from the light and sigh at the wonderful smell that was coming off of it. It was a minty, freshness with a sweet tinge to it that reminded me of when I melted candy canes in my hot chocolate to give it a unique chocolate sweet minty taste that only I in my family loved.

But the longer I pay attention to my pillow, the more I wake up and sense a thumping noise from my pillow. Like a heartbeat.

Then I realize that it's not my blanket embracing me, it's whatever the hell I was using as a pillow.

I jump up and fall off my bed at the sight of a smirking Leonard right up in my face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I scowl as I stood up. I crossed my arms and tried to remember what happened last night.

"We got a drink, remember? Then by your third beer, you passed out and I brought you back here," Leonard said, still smiling.

"Alcohol affects me differently than humans. I get drunk faster. That still doesn't explain why you're here," I say, trying to be angry while in reality I'm happy and blushing inside.

"I decided to stay awhile, just to make sure you were okay and then I got comfortable and fell asleep. Relax," Leonard explained.

"Well then, thank you for staying, I guess," I say uncofertably as I sat down on my bed.

"You're most certainly welcome," Leonard said as he grabbed my waist and pulled me back onto the bed with him. I slightly protested but something inside me flew and made my heart soar.

"Leonard, c'mon. The rest of the team is probably wondering where we are," I say attempting to break his grasp around my waist. He twists me around so we're face to face.

"Gideon..." Leonard started.

"The rest of the team is currently asleep and they most likely won't be up for another hour or two," Gideon replied.

"See, we have all the time in the world..." Leonard trailed off as we stared into each other's eyes.

His deep ocean blue eyes with dancing flecks of sky blue made me feel like a sailor staring at the endless sea.

"You're beautiful, you know that right," Leonard said and I outwardly blush. None of my self-control could stop it.

"Haha, she blushes. She's a little human after all!" Leonard cries in triumph.

"Don't get used to it," I smile and Leonard leans in.

All of my insides are screaming yes yes yes! Kiss him! Kiss him!

But I don't.

"Since no one is awake yet, it's the perfect opportunity for me to cook for you," I say, postponing the kiss.

"Right... Yeah, into the kitchen we go," Leonard sighs.

***

"Gideon, I need you to fabricate me flour, eggs, milk, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cottage cheese, chocolate chips, and candy canes," I say cheerfully as Leonard and I stroll into the kitchen in our Pj's. I'm wearing a white spaghetti strap tank top and red checkered sweatpants while Leonard is in a dark navy blue shirt and blue sweatpants.

"Cottage cheese? Candy canes? What are those for?" Leonard asks and I smile.

"You'll see. Do you wanna help?"

"Sure."

"Ok, grab me four separate bowls from the cabinets," I command and Leonard does what he's told without question while I crack the eggs in my bowl and whisk them.

"Ok, now grab a measuring cup and pour two cups of flour into the biggest bowl."

Leonard grabs a measuring cups from one of the cabinets above us and opens the bag of flour Gideon just fabricated for us. Then he flips the bad upside down over the measuring cup and all the flour comes pouring out of the bag and blew up all over the counter and in Leonard's face.

When the flour dust clears, there's a mountain of flour on the counter and a stunned white, powder-covered Leonard. I can't help but laugh at his mistake.

Leonard glares at me and grabs a handful of flour from the counter and throws it in my face. I gasp and grab an egg and smash it on top of his head. That's going to be a pain in the ass to wash out.

Leonard grabs the milk and it turns into an all-out war in the kitchen. By the time we run out of ingredients to throw at each other, the kitchen and dining room is a mess with eggs and milk strewn everywhere and dough caked on the walls.

Not to mention how big of a mess we are.

We end the fight in a laughing fit and it takes a second for me to catch my breath.

"Ok go take a shower and I'll clean up here," I say breathlessly at Leonard.

"It's a mess in here and you look terrible," Leonard replies.

"Thanks," I say.

"That's not what I meant.."

"This will only take a second. Magic powers here remember? Now go clean up. Everyone else will be up before you know it." I interrupt and push Leonard out of the room.

***

By the time Leonard came back, the kitchen and dining room was spotless and I got everything cooking on the stove. I even had time to quickly clean myself up.

"Mmm, it smells so good. What is that?" Leonard asks, coming over.

"Breakfast. Now go sit down while I finish up here," I say.

On the stove, I was cooking scrambled eggs with cottage cheese and chocolate chip peppermint pancakes. I already made regular scrambled eggs and pancakes. Also chocolate chip pancakes and blueberry pancakes. Yeah, I went all out.

I brought the fruit salad to the table in the dining room and the plates of pancakes and eggs. Leonard immediately dug in as Sara and Kendra strolled in, following their noses.

"Mmm, what is that I smell?" Sara asked eagerly.

"Breakfast provided by yours truly. Have a seat and dig in," I offer and take my seat next to Leonard's. The girls rushed to the table and piled the food onto their plates.

"That's what the cottage cheese and candy canes were for!" Leonard said in realization.

"What do you mean?" Kendra asked, suddenly wary.

"This plate of eggs I made with cottage cheese, like how my brother used to make them. The other plate is just regular scrambled eggs," I say pointing at the plates. "And this plate is chocolate chip peppermint pancakes cause that's how I like to make my pancakes but I also made chocolate chip, blueberry, and regular pancakes."

"Oooh," Kendra said and dug in.

"You doin okay kid?" Snart questioned as Gideon fabricated him a cup of black coffee with just a dash of cream. Cold peered into the mug and his lips quirked up for just a secGideon had made a snowflake design in the dark liquid.

"I'll-I'll be alright. Just couldn't sleep very well" Jax said shaking his head. Snart slid him over a coffee to help him keep his head upright. The kid looked like hell.

"A few more years and you'll have alcohol to help you with that kid," Snart said nudging me and I glared at him before he returned eating. "C'mon kid you gotta try this."

"Yeah, thanks ugh so we're all just going to act like everything's okay?" Jax asked confused as he looked around what remained of the rest of the team minus Captain Hunter. Everyone and everything felt somewhat normal, even if half of the team is gone and we have no idea how to get them back. Well as normal as you could consider their team.

"Not a chance," Kendra said shaking her head as she took a bite out of pancake. She was pissed at Rip. You'd think that after Carter died, he would be more willing to help the team. Maybe even more desperate not to lose anyone ever again. But he didn't even bat an eye and this did not sit well with the rest of the team.

When Rip walked into the kitchen, everyone froze. When all noise ceased Rip looked up to see the 5 pissed off faces of his remaining crew and he gulped. "Good Morning everyone" Rip greeted and he received nothing but silence.

"Too bad the rest of the team couldn't have joined in on this 'good morning' of ours," I replied sarcastically at Rip.

"But they will," Rip sighed and Gideon fabricated him some coffee. Rip looked down at his mug, seemingly debating something. Then a bottle of rum was fabricated and hepoured it into his morning coffee.

"Uhh Rip? What are you doing?" Sara questioned. Wasn't it a bit early for a drink? They had teammates to rescue. Rip needed to get his priorities straight.

"Countering the poison that Mr. Snart undoubtedly placed in it while my back was turned" Rip answered immediately his eyes going to the thief in question as he mixed the alcohol intothe coffee with a spoon.

"What can I say? It's an oldie but a goodie." Snart shrugged not feeling guilty at all.

"I don't even want to know how you know how to do that" Kendra said shaking her head taking a bite of her bagel.

"Every heist requires it's own unique skill," Snart answered wisely.

"So what's the plan Rip?" Jax asked leaning on the table eager to retrieve Stein and the others and get some god damned sleep.

"Sorry?" Rip asked eyes flicking up to meet Jax's heated gaze as Rip grabbed himself a blueberry pancake.

"How are we rescuing them?" Kendra clarified.

Rip looked down at the ground unsure of what to tell them.

"Unbelievable. You don't have a plan do you?" Sara asked.

"I just need a little time alright? There are many variables we have to take into account-"

"Our friends are in trouble. That's the only variable that matters," Jax said angerly.

"Ok guys chill. Let's just start with the facts we know and build a plan from there," I say, actually trying to make peace. What the hell is going on with me?

"And how do you expect us to do that Ms. Light?" Rip questioned me with a curious gaze.

"We know that they're in an impenetrable Soviet gulag so..." I start but Gideo understood where I was going with this and cut me off.

"Labor Camp Number 54 Formerly known as the Koshmar or "Nightmare" gulag. Built in the 18th century -" Gideonbegan to explain but then Leonard cut her off. We are just stepping all over each other today, aren't we?

"Can we skip past the Wikipedia crap and get to the good stuff, like how to break in?" Snart questioned before stuffing his face with blueberry pancakes. But there was no reply from Gideon.

"Perhaps you didn't register that as a question, Gideon," I suggest.

"I understood, but in its 200 years of operation, no one has successfully escaped from-" Gideon started to inform them only to be cut off by Leonard again.

"No offense, Gideon, but I never met a building I couldn't break into," Snart stated confidently with his mouth full.

"Eat with you're mouth closed," I scoled playfully.

"Well, I hope you're right. Savage knows that Stein created Firestorm, but if he finds out that he is Firestorm.." Rip trailed off.

"Always Savage with you, isn't it? My partner's in prison too." Snart reminded.

"And Ray," Sara added.

"Yeah, whatever. The point is you didn't lift a finger." Cold accused.

"You know damn well it was never my intention to get them thrown into a gulag, but I had no other option." Rip snapped.

"All right, that's enough, arguing is not gonna bring the team back any faster," I say.

"And Rip's right. Criminals usually do feel more at home in prison, and they know it better than anyoneelse," Sara said firmly, winking at me and Leonard.

"So?" Snart inquired.

"So what if the key to breaking in is asking someone who's been in and out of Soviet prisons their whole life?" Sara asked leaning on the table. A small smirk beginning to grow on herface as she spoke.

"And who might that be?" Rip asked her, taking another sip of his coffee. I noticed that the clinking of forks against plates has stopped as well to hear what Sara is going to say.

"Are you familiar with the Bratva?" Sara questioned the others.

"Ooh, the Russian Mob. In 1986, they would have ruled the criminal underground inside every prison," Snart grinned clearly interested at the prospect.

"Gid...current leader please.." Sara requested waving a hand.

"Yuri the bear. Real name unknown. He is currently at a sauna where he will remain for the next four hours if my logs are correct." Gideon answered quickly, sensing the tension in the room.

"Great. Let's go," I say, standing up and a few others following my lead.

Leonard rushes to finish his food as I grab his wrist and drag him out of his seat.

"Wait no! I didn't finish," Leonard whines as we all exit the room. One step closer, to saving our friends.

-What do you think of this chapter?

And

-Should I make a discord account for this story?

Hope you guys enjoyed these chapters! As soon as cross country season is over, I'll be able to update more often. Wish me luck!

-Rebekka