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It was Ray’s idea, of course. Everyone on the team brings something to the metaphorical table, they should bring something to the literal one too. Leonard had been showing Sara how to fry doughnuts. If Hanukkah lasted any longer, she wouldn’t be able to fit in the White Canary suit again. Which brought up a whole other problem. Leonard. They’d been together a year tomorrow and she had no idea what she could give him that would even begin to show how happy this last year had made her, how happy she wanted the rest of her years to be. She’d snatched the Mona Lisa and had Gideon replicate a copy. She returned the copy to da Vinci. Hopefully the original will get her message across.
‘Weren’t you burning the midnight oil here just a few hours ago?” Leonard’s smooth voice took Sara out of her thoughts and she rose from her crunches.
“Never left. A warrior must stay at her peak, even in off times” She brushed the sweaty, matted hair out of her face and smiled at her lover.
“You know, challah, kugels, sufganiyot… On Hanukkah, they count as healthy.”
“Yes, and if I get any healthier Gideon will have to gift me new leathers,” Sara laughed. “It’s okay, just been off in my head. As annoying as it is, I’m kind of glad Ray’s making us do this whole thing. We all need a break after Crisis.”
“Don’t tell him, but I am too. I’m excited to show you a true Snart Hanukkah. In fact, I think Raymond’s been dosing us all with a little holiday cheer. How else do we explain Mick offering to help him decorate?” Leonard chuckled and stepped closer.
“It’s a miracle,” she threw back sarcastically.
“Wash up, I need your help,” Sara rose a brow, “takes a hell of a lot more muscle than I have to shred all of those potatoes.” Of course, he knew he could do it but if he didn’t have to, that was generally his preferred option. Spending more time with Sara wasn’t exactly a deterrent either.
“Can’t you just blend them?” she responded. Leonard looked at her with mock shock and disgust. ”Or not… let me go have a shower, or join me?” There was only one answer to that offer, and it left a full-bladdered historian asking Santa for another bathroom.
Hours of baking, cooking and plenty of drinking later, it was officially Christmas day on the Waverider. Christmas fell within Hanukkah this year, making a pan-religious holiday celebration easy. The crew slowly piled in, bringing their hidden dishes, dressed in the nicest fabrics Gideon could replicate with the exception of John, of course, who was still wearing his trench coat outfit that, had she had not seen under it herself, Sara may have thought was his actual skin.
The captain entered, dressed in an emerald jumpsuit with glossy red lipstick that would inevitably end up all over Leonard’s black and red tuxedo. She carried in a plate of twisted fried dough that was somehow shaped into knives and set down a tea set of something smelling buttery and sweet. The thief that had become co-captain carried in the delicious doughnuts that were tempting Sara to steal. He also had a dish of fried potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream on the sides. Mick had dressed up, somewhat. He was in a suit with unbuckled pants and a few buttons missing on the dress shirt. He did, however, lift one of the little fried balls from Leonard’s platter and swallow it nearly whole. Nate and Ray, in matching green and red suits sat down, bringing classic American dishes from their home states. Zari, not having a holiday to celebrate this December, decided to bring her favourite dish from home and sat next to Charlie who was already picking at one of her puddings. Nora finally stepped out, garbed in a gorgeous black dress, carrying a turkey with her special “Star City-inspired stuffing”. No one was really sure what that meant. Perhaps there was a lot of corruption hiding in the bird.
Sitting in the middle of the galley was a pitcher of Gideon-made eggnog. After disasters from years past, she had decided that no one on board was fit to prepare it. John had conjured some literal fairy lights, that hung above bounds of holly and candles.
“So, thanks for doing all of this! Everything looks great. Everyone, why don’t you tell us what you brought?” Ray enthused. He went around the table, pouring eggnog in all but one glass, Nora’s, instead filling hers with water. “I brought Ivy Town-styled apple cake. Gluten free, of course.” He then looked intensely at Nate, urging him to continue.
“Um, this is New Jersey fish. There’s seven bits to it.” Nate nudged Zari.
“This is Fesenjoon. It’s not holiday related but it’s my favourite thing in the world.” The dish sparkled with pomegranate seeds almost looking like rubies.
“Puddin’. With brandy.” Charlie started, through mouthfuls. The rest of the team could smell the brandy coming from the dessert.
John held up little circular pies with protection symbols carved into the crust. “Mince pies, far better than pudding.”
Mick vaguely nodded to his dessert, a pale cake of meringue, cream and fruit. “Found this when we were in Australia. They call it Plover or something.”
“Pavlova,” Leonard corrected. “Plovers are the birds. Latkes and sufganiyot. Old Snart recipes that Lisa found off of google a few years back.”
“It’s nearly New Years in Tibet, so I brought something Nyssa used to smuggle in for me, Khapse with some yak butter tea,” Sara finished.
Ray was thrilled that, even half-heartedly, the crew humored him. Food was served, profanities were yelled, and stories were told. The Waverider was, for once, at relative peace, but when the Legends are involved, peace tends not to last long. A drunk and over-enthused Mick sloshed his drink laughing at the argument between Charlie and John on what a traditional English Christmas should look like, splashing onto one of the far too many candles. Between this and the wax holly, the room was surrounded by flames quickly. Leonard briefly considered jumping through to get the cold gun but Gideon released extinguishing foam from the ceiling, covering everyone and everything in white, snow-like powder. Festive.
“I suppose it is the festival of lights,” Leonard snarked.
The dishes were cleared and the foam cleaned up. Leonard whispered that he had another dish just for them in the captain’s quarters. Sara took a deep breath and raised a glass, hoping to cut dinner short.
“After everything that happened earlier this month, we really needed this. Thank you Ray,” Sara toasted, “To time!”
Slowly, people left the table. Sara poured another cup of tea for both her and Leonard.They carried their cups, sipping along the way, towards their quarters. Stepping inside, Leonard’s nearly spilling in surprise after finding the warlock, only dressed in his red tie, laying on their bed eating Leonard’s challah loaf.
John held up the bread, “Nice touch, mate,” he called out, pointing to the glimmering silver ring with ice blue diamonds adoring it that had been perfectly braided into the loaf.