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It all started with an innocent attempt to create some childhood memories. Zari had been describing her winter hiatus checklist to the Legends, complete with sleigh rides, gingerbread house building contests, and driving to find the best holiday light-covered house, when a bomb was dropped on the Legends. As Zari illustrated the perfect frozen lake she and Behrad had skated on as kids, Astra and Spooner revealed they had never gone sledding after a blizzard or played ice hockey and skated on a frozen lake as kids during winter break.
"It's not like Hell had normal seasons or weather patterns," Astra argued.
"And I lived in Texas, not Canada," Spooner added, "if you weren't playing football you weren't allowed to live there."
Despite the arguing from the pair, the Zari had Gideon set an immediate course for Vancouver, finding what she deemed to be the perfect frozen lake, surrounded by trees and secluded from anyone who might approach the time travelers, demanding that Spooner and Astra go put on winter gear.
Spooner picked up skating quickly, probably due to their strong footwork learned in the bowling alleys of their youth, while Astra (ever the pro in heels) only took a few minutes longer to feel comfortable enough to let go of Behrad.
Only Sara and Ava seemed to notice the long glares Spooner shot towards Behrad as he guided Astra around the ice, causing the cowboy to trip, as the wives skated around the lake hand in hand.
Eventually, Spooner was ready to play hockey, their competitive side and desire to prove themself to a certain witch taking the reins. Nate and Spooner faced off at the center of the ice, and the Legends fell into a comfortable back in forth, the sun illuminating the ice and snow in a peaceful glow.
Later in the game, Behrad passed the puck to Astra, and as she skated forward and attempted to spin around Spooner towards the goal, the toe of her skate got caught on the ice, causing her to trip forward. Spooner, forgetting the game, rushed forward to help Astra, but as they came closer to their best friend, a sharp crack broke the silence of the surrounding forest.
The ice was splintering under Astra, and as she attempted to move towards the edge of the lake, a large chunk broke off next to her, plunging into the icy waters beneath. In the same moment Astra attempted to escape her doom, Spooner reacted without thinking, shoving Astra out of the way towards Gideon who was keeping score next to her army of snow-people. And within a blink of an eye, the ice was gone and Spooner was the one plunging into the cold, trepid waters.
It was only a few seconds that they were underwater, that the air was knocked out of their lungs and they were just slowly falling through the water, the weight of their jackets and snow boots acting like sandbags, but it felt like days. Spooner didn't fight back though or thrash around. Maybe it was because they were in shock. Maybe it was because everything felt too heavy. But for Spooner, the drowning was quiet. It was too dark to see and there was nothing to hear. For the first time that they could remember, their head was quiet, so Spooner didn't fight.
Spooner felt it first. A light tug or push coming from below them. They blinked and squinted as water filled their eyes, and just before they shut them again, they saw a flash of red. And that's when Spooner knew they were okay. Always had been a promise that Astra intended to keep, even on the Legends' day off.
The following moments happen in flashes. Astra's magic in red streaks surrounding Spooner as the fountain's magic did. Blood dripping from Astra's nose. Astra pulling Spooner from the water. Spooner being unable to more their arm to hold Astra up, keeping her from falling back or passing out or just stopping the blood from dripping onto her fancy scarf. And the next thing Spooner knew they were in the Medbay, wrapped in blankets with Astra beside them.
"Lo?" Spooner asked shakily.
"Spooner?! Are you okay?"
Spooner shifted in the chair, flexing their arms and legs before deciding they were no longer numb, nodding in response. "Are you okay? You were bleeding again."
Astra just shrugged and nodded. "So much for childhood games and memories."
Spooner just laughed, "Lost in New York and Hot Chocolate?"
A few minutes later, Spooner and Astra were curled up under a pile of blankets, sipping hot chocolate and sharing random commentary on the movie. Suddenly, Astra turns to Spooner, unable to wait any longer.
"Spooner, when you were in the water, why didn't you fight?"
"What?" Spooner asked.
"You know," Astra said, "When you fell into the lake."
"Umm well it was cold, I couldn't really move." They wait a few beats before continuing, Astra's deep eyes studying their face. "It was quiet, ya know, for the first time Lo, it was peaceful and I wasn't worried or in pain or stressed. I'm not saying I'm not happy or that I didn't want…." Spooner stops, looking down. Astra notes the use of her pet name but doesn't say anything, instead reaches down to squeeze Spooner's hand. "For a second, I just knew everything was going to be okay, and so I just held onto the quiet."
Astra looks into Spooner's eyes and then just nods. "I get what you mean," she responds, causing Spooner's eyes to search Astra's face, but then relaxes, wanting Astra to continue and not think they were attempting to read her mind.
"When I cast a spell," Astra starts, "before the bleeding or the high pitched ringing, a feeling of control and well for lack of a better word, power, washes over me. It's hard to explain but it's like the magic is part of me and is somehow both putting me in danger and protecting me. Like today, and like when I cast the spell freezing the Staples guy in the factory, I wasn't thinking, it was just like my mind and my magic were one, and it was tranquil almost, like the rest of the world was still and silent while my magic worked."
"Well I'm glad it did," Spooner said softly. "It, no you, saved me."
"If we, if I lost you, who would I have left to make fun of or watch Home Alone with?"
"Nate, probably, or Gary," Spooner shot back, smirking.
Astra looked at Spooner, still holding the smaller one's hand. "Yeah but they don't make me feel as safe or understood as you do."
Spooner looked at Astra, and before they could fathom what they were saying, they had already said "Ditto, Princess," causing Astra to smirk and turn the movie back on, letting the two fall into a comfortable silence in each other's arms.
Later that night, when the wives went to check on the pair who had fallen asleep under their blanket pile in the library, Ava became 10 dollars richer, earning an eye roll and a kiss from Sara.