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Ray was sobbing full on now, he had done the most unthinkable thing ever just now. He scared his daughter, he had to listen as Neron threatened unimaginable things that he'd do to her if he didn't give in.
So he did. "Okay! I give up! I give up! Just, don't hurt her! Please!" Ray looked at Nicole, pained by the terror in her face and how much younger she looked even though she was just four years old. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve any of this, this life was getting too dangerous for her to be safe. Especially from all the demons and whatnot.
Ray closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Nicole anymore as Neron took over his body. His last wish before everything went dark was that she'd be okay, that she would be able to get off the ship and get to the Legends or to Ava. He just prayed that his daughter would be safe from… him.
"Nicole, go. Get to the safe place." Ray looked at his terrified daughter sadly. "Remember, I'm so proud of you and I love you very much, okay?"
"I love you too." Nicole told him, crying as she watched Neron take over her father and the last bits of what made Ray, Ray were dimmed by the demon's darkness.
Nicole managed to scramble up while Neron was distracted and started running. She knew that the bad man had gotten her daddy, much like the other bad man got Nora before they saved her. She was scared, she was crying but she knew she had to get away before anything happened to her. Or to her dad, once Gideon powered back up, she'd easily be able to get him off the ship. Well, Nicole hoped because she couldn't think much past she lost someone to a demon.
Again. She didn't even have Nora then but she saw what happened to her when under Mallus's influence. Nicole had been kidnapped months ago by a group of extremists, trying to sacrifice to whatever demon they worshipped and Nora had taken her away in a display of power. Well, it had been Mallus in control, something about wanting the "heir of the Legends" and a bargaining chip.
Honestly, Nicole was tired of this. She just wanted her dad back, wanted him to be happy with Nora and for them to love her. She wanted to play outside, play in the grass and have fun ripping it out of the ground because she wants to be a scientist like her daddy. Nicole wanted to be able to crawl into their bed because she had a bad dream and not worry about time pirates or demons or anything.
"Giddy?" she asked quietly, shaking as she hid in the drive core. There was something telling her that Neron was still on the ship, so she didn't dare get too loud. "I'm scared,” Nicole whimpered, curling closer to the subtle warmth of the engine. She liked to imagine it was actually her Aunt Gideon trying to provide meager comfort where she could since she wasn't "real".
Nicole could wait, she could hide. She was a good girl, she knew what to do, she could wait for the Legends to find her. Just, she hoped they got there before Neron found her and wanted to terrorize her more.
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"Jesus…" Sara sighed, raking her hand through her hair as she thought of Ray possessed by a demon. "Well, obviously we have to get him back, he's one of us. Just, what made him break? He's a lot stronger than that."
Ava paled from Nora's bedside. "Oh god, Nicole's on the Waverider," she said in horror as the realization of who they were missing and why dawned upon her.
Everyone in the cell froze up and started clamoring up to get out of the no-portal zone to get to the ship. Nora was struggling to sit up, not wanting to sit idly by while Neron could be doing unspeakable things to that precious baby. She saw Ava was torn between pushing her back down to rest after being "dead" or helping her up to get her to the ship.
Thankfully, Ava chose the latter, swooping Nora up bridal style and started carrying her to the zone where the rest of the Legends were waiting. "Thank you." Nora murmured, a little embarrassed that she couldn't walk by herself just yet but happy to be included. (She was also happy to have a friend who thought of her.)
They arrived on the ship, disturbed by the fact that everything was deadly quiet with Gideon being off-line. "Okay, Mick and I have the top deck, Nate and Charlie, take the second. Zari and Ava, take the drive core. Nora… be ready for a traumatized 4 year old if- when we find her." Sara gave everyone their pairings and assignments before they split up.
"So what do I do? Sit here and look pretty?" Nora sounded frustrated, hating that she was currently the most useless person on the team.
Ava and Zari glanced at each other, both a little worried but overall concerned. "No, we're taking you to the medbay on the way. Safest place for you, well, after we clear it."
Nora tried to protest but without any use of her legs for the time being, it was best that she stay out of the way. Plus, what if Nicole was hurt and she needed medical treatment? The little girl was quite attached to her and Nora had a pretty good chance of keeping her calm. That or she'd set her off because Nicole and Nora had met under… some pretty bad circumstances and what if it was just too soon?
"Fine," Nora relented, leaning back into Ava and pouting slightly because she wanted to do something with the team. But it was already something that they were including her and caring about her, so she'd settle for being "sidelined" for the moment.
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Nicole perked up when she heard her name being called. That sounded an awful lot like her Aunt Ava calling her name, followed by her Aunt Zari and them clattering, about to reboot Gideon. She stayed where she was though, it was better to stay in her hiding spot and let the AI confirm who she was dealing with rather than seek the women out. No matter how much she wanted to hide in their arms and cry.
She had to stay smart, it's what her daddy would have wanted.
"Gideon? Are you up?" Zari asked the ceiling, still a force of habit even after learning she was everywhere.
"I am now, Ms. Tomaz. The young Ms. Palmer is hiding closer to my drive core. She is safe, as far as I can tell. Shaken up, but alive," Gideon told them, lighting up the floor in a way that would lead them to where Nicole was holed up. "I do recommend approaching her with caution, I was not officially online but…"
The two women exchanged another glance before following the lights to their destination.
Ava and Zari cautiously approached where Gideon led them, hoping Nicole was hiding there. As they got closer, they began to hear muffled sobbing and what sounded like Nicole asking for her daddy. The sounds alone broke their hearts and they knew they need to get her calm and soon .
"Hey, hey, Nicole?" Ava spoke quietly, kneeling down to peek into the small, hidden cubby where the little girl had squirreled herself away. "It's me, your Aunt Ava."
Nicole shuffled further away, not entirely convinced that this was actually her family and not just people trying to trick her.
"Remember our little phrase? When did a Legend ever go quietly? It came from when me and your Aunt Sara fought before we got together."
"And do you remember when we met your dad as a kid? I was there for that, it was the first Legends mission I did and you helped me feel welcome." Zari knew that memory would be a little tricky, after all, the girl did just lose her father to Neron. It was the best way to prove it was her though, no matter how painful it might be right now.
Suddenly, they had a crying toddler on them, Nicole finally believing them and jumping them. She had been alone for who knew how long and she had two of her favorite aunts here, in the flesh, and both of them were so warm.
"Sh- crap ," Ava course corrected in the middle of her swear word. "Let's get her to the medbay, she's freezing. Nicole, c'mon, look at me, is there anywhere you hurt? You know Aunt Gideon can have you fixed in a heartbeat."
Nicole nodded and reached for the edge of her pants, rolling up the leg a little to show a medium-sized scrape. Probably from when she was running from Neron and banged into something. She dropped her pants leg and snuggled into Ava, shivering as the air moved around them as they walked made her colder than she already was.
After a brief pause for Ava to shed her Bureau jacket and swaddle Nicole in it, they reached the medbay where the rest of the Legends were. They were all loosely gathered around Nora's bedside, idly chattering about what they found and didn't see. Mick, expectedly, had a sandwich in one hand and a beer in the other.
Nora perked up when she saw Nicole, propping herself up so she could get a better look and to attempt to see if the girl was okay. Nicole was shivering from her cocoon in Ava's arms and she was clinging to her aunt.
"Nicole!" Nora called her name rather unthinkingly. Everyone was shocked by how the girl's head whipped around to her and she started reaching desperately out to her. The tears coming down her face intensified until she was full on sobbing to be in Nora's arms.
Ava gently set her down, backing away as Nicole buried her face in Nora's shirt and cried into it.
Nora held her close, rubbing her little back and encouraging her to get all of it out. She looked around to see if anyone would argue with her methods but they all either were ignoring what was happening or they had this small, approving look on their face. Charlie gave her a hearty thumbs up and a grin to show their approval.
"The bad man took him! He took my daddy!" Nicole finally spoke up, her tearful words finally confirming everyone's worst fears. "Why?"
That was the million dollar question. None of them knew exactly why Neron got Ray, all they knew was that when Nora used her magic in the cell, it "killed" her, knocked out John, and barely did anything to Ray himself. Maybe it was all apart of the game he was playing, using one of them to break them down, try to beat them because they wouldn't hurt family like that.
Well, Mick might but he wouldn't kill them.
Hopefully.
"We… really don't know, sweetheart." Nora told her, adjusting Nicole in her lap as best as she could with how tightly she seemed to be clinging to her. "Hang on sweet girl, I'm just getting you seated better, look at that!" She pointed out that Zari had a glowing wristband ready so Gideon could check Nicole out and heal her little injury.
Nicole burrowed further into Nora's chest, eyeing the medical bracelet with distaste and distrust. "No."
"Nicole… I know it's been a horrible, no good day but you've gotta get checked out, okay?" Nora tried sweet-talking Nicole into getting checked out but no one was about to blame her for being "unreasonable". Not after the things she witnessed today, no, they weren't about to be too hard on her. "You don't even have to leave my lap, we'll stay here and snuggle!"
Nicole stared her down, her brown eyes searching her face for any signs of deceit. That look reminded Nora, rather painfully, of Ray and how he always did that to gauge someone's truthfulness or feelings. Oh, how she wished he were here, wished that he was here so they could maybe be a little family. That he could help her with what to do when you had a disgruntled four year old who was being stubborn.
"Pinky swear?" Nicole's voice cut off her thoughts, her tiny pinky very seriously offered out towards Nora.
Nora linked one of her pinkies with Nicole's, easily turning it into where she was gently holding the girl's hand. "I promise, with my whole heart. No take backsies, isn't that what you taught me?"
Nicole grinned, her tear stained cheeks bunching up to reveal her precious little dimples and she nodded furiously. Then, she offered her wrist to Zari, allowing the bracelet to be put on her and allowing Gideon the opportunity to examine her.
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After they were both cleared and the Legends had started the search for Neray, Nicole and Nora were in the kitchen of the Waverider. Nicole had stated, very plainly, that she was hungry and wanted something to eat.
Well, that was 15 minutes ago. Here they were, Nicole pushing her food around, looking very much like a saddened puppy at the moment while Nora tried to encourage her to eat something.
"I'm not hungry, Nono," Nicole said softly, looking at Nora with watery eyes. "I miss daddy."
Nora's heart broke just a little more for Nicole. She knew what it was like to be young and lose your father to the evil ways of the world. Of course, she hadn't been as young as Nicole but she had an idea of what she was feeling.
"I know sweetheart, I know. But you know you have to eat something . You have to keep your strength up!" Nora tried to sound cheerful, she really did, but she had the exact same feelings as Nicole did.
Mostly anyways. For Nicole, she lost her whole world , the man who raised and loved her after losing his fiancee and her mother.
"Don't wanna. Want daddy." Nicole slumped, her small shoulders sagging downwards, exaggerating just how small and fragile she actually was. Everyone forgot all too easily that, while Nicole was incredibly intelligent, she was also four years old with an incredible amount of traumatic events under her belt.
Nora was at a standstill, while she knew Nicole adored her, there was no way she'd be able to get the young girl to eat. She wasn't good with kids at all, her talent for charming Nicole coming from that Nora had somehow "bewitched" her daddy.
She was simply helpless and she didn't know who would be the next best in getting Nicole to eat. Maybe Sara would?
"Gideon?" Nora asked, hesitant to be polite to the AI. She knew that she knew about her stay on the Waverider before but she had no idea how she actually felt about Nora.
"Yes, Ms. Darhk?"
"Would you mind asking Sara to come here? I'm, um, a little-"
"Right away," Gideon cut her off, apparently knowing exactly why Nora was calling in the cavalry.
Nicole studied her again, her chubby cheek pressed against the countertop while she looked at Nora. "You're scared?"
Nora debated the merits of lying, trying to put on a brave front for the already terrified girl. On one hand, she didn't need to put any of her own, adult grief onto Nicole but on the other… it wouldn't hurt for Nicole to know that she wasn't alone.
In the end, she decided not to tell Nicole, attempting to direct the conversation to something else. "Is there anything you want to do today? I mean, while we wait."
Nicole looked thoughtful for a few seconds before deciding that she wanted to watch tv and snuggle. Nora hoped the idea of relaxing would distract her long enough from what was going on in order to get her to eat.
Sara arrived not long after she was summoned and by the grace of whatever higher being existed, she managed to get Nicole to do more than pick at her food. While she was happy that the little girl had started to eat, Nora felt like a failure that she couldn't even do one thing right. How was she supposed to watch after her? Of course, she'd taken care of younger kids before while in the foster system but Nicole was a lot different. None of those kids had the level of PTSD that she did, none of them quite had the uniqueness her trauma did.
Nora only wished she could ignore her own guilt and sadness to help Nicole better.
Sara seemed to notice her internal conflict. "Hey, Nicole, what do you say to hanging with your cool aunt Sara while Nora has a minute to do things?" she suggested, gently touching Nicole's shoulder to get her attention.
Nicole reacted rather badly, suddenly clambering out of her chair and running over to Nora, clinging to her leg and crying. "I'm sorry! I'll be good! Please don't leave!" she sobbed, burying her face into Nora's pants and refusing to let go.
The two women exchanged a glance, they should have known it would be a bad idea to separate Nicole from someone she loved so soon. "Hey, it's not like that." Nora somehow pried Nicole off her leg and held her gently by her little shoulders. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be back, I promise." Nora lied a little, but thinking on it, it wouldn't hurt to sneak off and have a good cry without setting off Nicole.
She was being stared down by a teary pair of brown eyes, one's that struck Nora again as belonging to Ray. "Pinky promise?"
A small smile made its way onto Nora's face and she linked pinkies with Nicole. "I promise, okay? Just give me a few minutes, if I take too long, you can ask Aunt Gideon where I am." Nicole seemed mostly satisfied with that but still attacked Nora with a tight hug and telling her to be careful.
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Nicole knew she shouldn’t be listening to the grownups mission plan, but with Nora not in the room, she really had no one to watch her while keeping her ignorant.
“I really don’t want to be the one to say it, but one way to get a demon to release a mortal body is to find a… loophole of sorts in its contract,” Charlie said, their expression taking on a rather morose look. “Does anyone know why Ray gave up his body?”
An unnatural silence took over the control room as they all looked between each other, unsure of exactly what happened that day that Ray lost his soul to Neron. Nicole hadn’t been too forthcoming with information to anyone, not even Nora. Only that her daddy had scared her and then gave up his body to the bad man.
“You don’t think…?” Nate sounded rather horrified at the thought before he even really said it. “I mean, before I left to find you guys, I saw Nicole on the ship with him. Do you think that Neron threatened her? I mean, that’d sadly be the best way to break Ray completely, I think.”
“There’s no bloody way we’re endangering a child to destroy a demon!” Charlie was rather pissed at the very notion of sacrificing Nicole to beat Neron. They had grown rather attached to the girl and would fight like hell to keep her safe from harm.
John interrupted, "There's no way we'd do that, I'm not gonna put a child in harm's way. Not again."
Nicole vaguely got what they were talking about, when her daddy gave up his body to the bad man, a deal had been made that Nicole could not be harmed. So, she had to do something, she was the one who could save him and get him back. Her face was set in a determined glare, she knew what she had to do.
She had to do it for him.
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Ray gasped as he sat upright, finally back in his body after being trapped in hell for almost a month. "I'm back! I'm back, oh man, I've missed you all." He was absolutely thrilled to be home, be with Nora and to see his daughter again.
But why was everyone so sad?
"Ray…" Nora's voice broke, she wasn't looking at him but instead was staring off at something past him. "Ray, I- It's Nicole."
His heart started pounding and he whipped around to look where everyone was staring. The sight that he saw would haunt him forever, he knew it would. It made his blood run cold and he scrambled up to get over to the small, still body, lying in the middle of the gymnasium floor.
"No, no, no!" He quickly checked for a pulse as he gathered Nicole's limp body into his arms. "No, I can't-! I can't lose you too, please, please let this be a bad dream." Ray's voice broke as he begged and screamed over his daughter. She couldn't be dead, there was no way he lost her, he still had to be in Hell, right?
Mick turned suddenly and grabbed John roughly by the lapels of his trenchcoat. "Bring her back! She's too damn young for this shit!"
John held up his hand in surrender. "You think I wouldn't if I could? I can't , she did this without any of us knowing!" He looked sadly at the little girl he had gotten attached to over the last few months. Her bubbly personality and curiosity about magic had definitely won him over after he had been dead set against befriending her. The first time she had dubbed him "Uncle John", he knew had been a goner and would lay down his life to protect her. Only, this time, it seems the reverse happened as Nicole had lept in front of him when Neray meant to attack John.
Thus breaking the hold Neron had on Ray's body and enabling them to destroy the demon. But the cost had been too damn high and the charge couldn't be reversed. No matter how much he wished it could be.
Mick released him, refusing to show the tears in his eyes to anyone as he had lost his tiny buddy.
Nora sat next to Ray, trembling with disbelief and sorrow because why did it have to be Nicole? It should have been someone else, it could have been someone else if the little girl hadn't been so damn smart.
A small sound distracted everyone from their mourning and tears, it was Ray's rough voice singing one of Nicole's favorite songs that always put her to sleep. He wasn't good by any stretch of the imagination but none of them were that mean to comment on it. Not now, not while he was trying to process and grieve at losing one of the lights of his life. Again.
The scepter that John was leaning on to support himself started glowing with more people joining in on the music, holding hands and pouring their hearts into it. All the ruckus gave him an idea. He started rallying everyone to start singing, their love and support could bring her back. Like hell was he gonna lose another little one on his watch when he now knew he could do something.
Even if it was through the weirdest means ever. But whatever it takes, right?
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Up in the rafters were two figures, unable to be seen by the naked eye. Nicole saw how sad everyone was and she could feel everyone wishing her back. "Mama?" She turned towards the spirit of Anna Loring, pulling away from their little side snuggle they were doing.
"Yes?"
"I wanna go back," she told her, resolute in her decision. They needed her with them, besides, who else would make sure her daddy and Nora got together properly? Her aunts and uncles wouldn't press the issue after her death but if Nicole came back, she could make certain they were happy.
Nicole looked down again, seeing everyone in circles while her daddy was still kneeling on the floor, her Nono right beside him and holding onto them. She felt sad, extremely sad at how much they were suffering but if she could get there , then they wouldn't be!
Anna smiled at her daughter. "I know. But, before you go my little firefly, I want you to know I am so proud of you. I've loved you ever since I knew I was having you, but my time is done. I'll always be in your heart, I think it's time for you to call another by mom."
"Nono?"
"Yes. Now come here, I know you love it when your daddy swings you around, let's do that!" She stood up, holding her hands out and smiled as Nicole hopped up, vibrating with excitement and latched their hands together. Of course, she missed her daughter but she would never be so selfish as to keep her here.
Besides, Nicole had a crazy, hellish adventure ahead of her. It wasn't meant for her to die so young, only when she was much, much older would they meet again.
They did few twirls around and around before Anna said goodbye to her daughter's spirit before letting her go.
And Nicole tumbled through the air, free falling back to her family waiting down below.
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Ray hated this, he hated holding his daughter's body in his arms. He just wanted her back, dammit. Hadn't he lost enough? Hadn't Nicole been through enough? She didn't deserve this, she didn't.
He sat there, holding her and trying to warm her up as she was getting way too cold for his liking when something happened. A small, sharp intake of breath had every person in the gym pausing. Nicole started coughing, waking up from… what happened. Ray scrambled to press his fingers to her neck, sobbing with relief when he felt her pulse, getting stronger with each passing second.
Vaguely he heard someone shout, "She's alive!" followed by the sounds of exuberant cheering and screams of joy. But none of it mattered to him, his daughter was back.
"Nicole!" Nora shouted, unable to stop herself from weaseling in on their hug, cursing the Fairy Godmother dress once more. "Oh, thank god," she breathed out, not once taking her eyes off of Nicole. She pressed a kiss to her temple, a happy feeling flipping in her chest when a tiny hand reached out to her.
They heard her mumble but couldn't make it out amongst the racket in the gymnasium. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but what was that?" Ray asked her to clarify, clutching her a little tighter when a cough wracked her body.
"Can we go home now?" Nicole blinked at them, no doubt tired, exhausted from her ordeal.
The only response she got was a rushed yes from Ray and more tears as he stood up, clinging to her desperately. He didn't care if she asked for world domination right now, the only thing was that she had come back to him. To all of them if the way the Legends screaming around him was any indication of their family status.
Nora kissing Nicole's forehead again got his attention before she surprised him with a kiss. "Oh!" He blinked, a little stunned that she did that.
Nicole wiggled a little between them and they glanced down to see her pleased, dimpled smile. "I knew it." Was the only thing she whispered before snuggling back into her father's chest.
Well, after this day from Hell, few months more like it, there were worse things than the four year old calling their relationship. They were just happy the crazy idea of singing brought Nicole back to them.
Safe and Sound, right where she belongs.