Chapter Text
Mick had seen too many things in his too many years to blink at the sight of this, but Dr. Caitlin Snow is siting at Saints and Sinners with her back like a lightning rod and her little ass perched on top of the cardigan she laid over the bar stool. He's seen stranger things, but at least this one is pleasant. He's always liked the good doctor. She has spark. She burns cold.
She barely glances his way when he sits next to her, instead focusing the full power of her glared on the shot glass in front of her. The amber liquid sits peaceful and untouched in front of her crossed arms.
"You oughta dump it if you think it's roofied," he says without preamble, "wouldn't be surprised if it is."
"It's not," she says without taking her eyes off the thing.
"What's wrong with it then?"
She takes her glare from the drink and levels it at Mick. He'd be scared shitless if he weren't suddenly enthralled.
"I'm pregnant," she says simply. Mick's eyebrows fly up and he grunts in commiseration.
"Shit."
"You don't know the half of it," she says as she turns back to the shot in front of her.
He must be nostalgic or some other emotional shit because in that moment she reminds him so much of Snart - frustrate and offended by her own frustration. And just like Snart, he can't seem to walk away from something he knows he should run from.
"I got time," he says, wondering if she gets the joke.
She snorts, just once, so she probably does.
"I guess it only makes sense that the first person I tell is the pyro who wanted to burn me alive," she says.
He motions for a beer and doesn't protest the description. The woman hasn't lied.
"I thought he was perfect," she says, "and I was an idiot not to realize he was too perfect. I was an idiot to think I could really fall in love again. But he was ...he was a monster. So much worse than a monster. He killed so many dozens, hundreds maybe, and Ba- my best friend's dad. He was a real monster too... God those black eyes I can't fall asleep at night because I see them. And now I'm carrying his child."
He clears his throat, completely out of his element.
"You don't gotta if you don't want," he finally says.
"I know," she answers quietly, "I know I don't."
She nods at the shot glass and Mick understands. She's making a choice right now. Mick is the only witness.
"Snart's dead," he says. It's the only thing on his mind.
The words seem to startle her and her face goes through several expressions before she frowns.
"Rory I... I'm sorry. I knew you'd been recruited along with Jax and Dr. Stein but I didn't -"
"He had to go and be a goddamn hero and now he's dead. There were these assholes they had us all by strings, you and me and Snart and even the fucking Flash. Everyone in history and we didn't even know it. Snart cut the strings. So if you were worried about fate or destiny or whatever don't be. Never had more choices than you do now."
"And no one knows," she whispers, "no one knows he sacrificed himself -"
"The team knows. Lisa knows. I know. Who else matters?"
"He did something for humanity," she tells him as if he didn't know, "and no one will ever know his name."
"It's why Rip chose us in the first place," he says with a shrug, "cause none of us are ever going to matter that much."
She looks horrified by the very idea. That's the kind of person Snow is.
"Listen it would've mess with his rep anyway," he says as he gets up and nods at her drink, "I'll leave ya to it."
The Flash is impressed the first time he catches Mick at a heist on his own. He's between time jumps and bored out of his mind, but he bothered to clear the place before he lit it up and apparently the kid appreciates that.
"I thought you were past this sort of thing," The Flash says, "time traveling hero and all."
"Where's the pay in that?"
He can see the kid smile under the cowl, the ghost of Snart making the air heavy around them. Or maybe that's the smoke.
"Um, my friend wants me to tell you something. Dr. Snow? She says to tell you umm - says you're going to owe her a drink in a few months."
Mick huffs out a laugh and finally pull up his heat gun.
"Tell her I'll get the whole damn bottle," he says as he turns to head out.
He knew staying friends with Jax and Stein was going to cost him. He just never thought he was going to find himself on this side of a kidnapping. Mick throws his whole weight against the door again even though he knows it's useless. He has no gun and even if he did, what good would it do other than fry himself and the other person they've stuffed in this industrial refrigerator?
Snow sits in a corner, his soot clogged jacket wrapped around herself like some kind of shell. She's curled around her belly like the rest of her can keep it extra warm. Maybe it can. What the hell does he know? All he knows is when he gets out of here those bastards are going to get a slow death.
"Stop hurting yourself," she grumbles, "you're only going to give me more work when we get out and all I want is to go to bed and put my feet up."
"Pretty confident we're gonna get out of here then?"
She looks up at him, her eyebrow raised in clear judgment.
"I didn't survive three apocalypses and have the Flash for a best friend to die in a freezer, Mick. They'll be here."
He growls, fully growls, before slumping down beside her.
"Not happy waiting for the rescue, huh?"
"Not my style," he grunts.
"You get used to it," she sighs.
"Like hell I will," he mutters. It makes her laugh.
"Len and Sara got stuck like this," he tells her, "only I hate the fucking cold."
"Tell me more stories," she sighs, curling the coat closer to herself and closing her eyes, "about the Waverider. And Snart."
"Like stories about Snart?"
"Turns out he's a good hero," she says.
"Keep yer eyes open," he says roughly.
She opens them and nods, looking concerned but only for a second. He tells her about meeting Snart, the other kids trying to shiv him and how small and fierce he looked. He tells her about Malta, he tells her about Philly. He even tells her about Lisa's high school play.
By the time the Flash and his crew do show up Caitlin is shaking, not from the cold, but laughing helplessly as she clutches her round belly.
He wasn't going to show up. It was ridiculous to show up. It was ridiculous that they would even call him to show up. But the fact is that he's outside a hospital room beside Lisa's little geek of a boyfriend and the Flash - in all his unmasked 12 year old glory - means that he's being ridiculous right about now.
"We have nothing to be worried about," Ramon is muttering, "this is completely natural. Women do this all the time. And Cait's a woman. Ergo this is going to be totally fine. And the chances of her baby being a Zoom-demon-child are -"
"Cisco!"
"They're slim, Barry, they're slim!"
"If you don't shut up your skull's gonna be slim," he says, leaning back in his seat.
After another hour and a half Clarissa Stein comes over to them, with a bright smile and clapping hands.
"Oh it's a boy," she says, "a beautiful little boy. Iris is with Caitlin, you boys can come in now."
Caitlin looks like a damn mess, her hair is matted against her forehead and the bags of her eyes are dark as bruises. Mick thinks she looks gorgeous. The little wrinkled thing in her arms on the other hand, that doesn't look like it's cooked yet.
"Hello," she says as the three of them walk in the room. The other two shower her with questions and hugs and kisses. They lay plush toys and flowers at her bedside table. When she finally manages them to shove them off Mick approaches, pulling the bottle of Jack out of his jacket and putting on the table beside a bright purple teddy bear.
"Owe ya a drink," he grunts out. She laughs, tired and slow but loud and happy.
"Thanks Mick," she says, "wanna meet him?"
"That's not a good idea," he mutters, "better keep 'im close."
"Have you decided on a name yet?" Iris asks.
"Um, I bounced a few around," she says, "I thought for while I'd name him after Ronnie but... seeing him it just doesn't fit."
She looks upset by that and Stein is quick to step up, "I know Ronald wouldn't have minded, Caitlin."
She nods and suddenly she's all eyes for the kid, like it's a lighthouse and she's in the dark.
"You're all going to think I'm crazy but I... I think I'm going to name him Leonard," she says softly.
Mick isn't sure what it is his feeling, maybe like the ground shook a bit. Maybe there's an earthquake.
"Leonard? Like Snart?" the Flash asks.
Caitlin flushes, looking shy.
"I think that's a wonderful name," he says, his confused frown turning into a grin, "even if it's a mouthful for a little one."
"It's a beautiful name," Clarissa says, and Mick's glad cause he still has no words, "Martin has told me all about that man's bravery - what he did for us all. It's right of you to honor him."
"I did ask Lisa," Caitlin says, looking up at Mick, "I asked her if it'd be alright. I told her all the stories you told me about him helped me and - she said it was alright."
"Course it's alright," Mick finally says, "he'd have liked that. Big headed son of a bitch."
"Leonard Snow," Cisco says, nodding as he sounds out the name, "yeah - he would've definitely loved that. Welcome to the team little one."