Work Text:
Sara walks out of the remnants of the Arrow cave, wishing she could help Ollie and Conner rebuild. She spares a brief thought at how proud Felicity had been of it, and how much effort she knew the other woman had put into making the area more homey than their last haunt. It makes Sara smile to think of Felicity's dismay at having Oliver Queen redecorate the space.
But it makes her shudder to consider a world that doesn't have Felicity Smoak's light, and that's not something she can stand, especially if she is at fault. Logically, she knows what Rip told her about this only being one of many futures has to be true, but she's always had a hard time with logic when it comes to her family. She thinks back to when she left the League to check on her family and grimaces. At least that had been alive to check on then.
Sara is pulled out of her maudlin thoughts when she hears a harsh, metallic sound. That's all the warning she gets before she is ambushed by a short blonde in leather. Sara's somewhat tempestuous instincts are screaming at her to grab her bo and fight, that this person is a threat, but she manages a startled "What the hell?" instead.
As soon as she speaks, the blonde disengages from Sara. "I knew it was you!" she says in obvious triumph. "You're back, I can't believe it! I mean, I know they always said you never came back, but I knew that wasn't true because I've met you before. And then Johnny - or, uh, Connor, sorry - told me about you and-"
"Ace!" The blonde's mouth snaps shut at the sound of a second voice, and Sara looks over her shoulder to watch another woman come jogging up to them, stopping a few feet away. Sara looks between the two, still trying to process the first girl's ramblings.
"It's dangerous out here," the second woman snaps. She hears the exhaustion in her voice, and takes a closer look. She's wearing black jeans and a close fitting shirt. She has a black leather jacket on, but Sara can tell from the thickness of her torso that she is wearing Kevlar like Connor. Maybe someone else trying to fight for the city, Sara muses. Her eyes are flickering between Sara and the other girl.
"Alex, you know as well as I do she of all people isn't dangerous!"
"Excuse me," Sara asks with a raised eyebrow before she can help herself. She fixes her gaze on the younger girl - Ace, the other woman said - and processes her outfit for the first time. Her blonde hair is loose, but her upper face is covered by a mask. Her black leather pants her tucked into combat boots that have seen better days. Her leather jacket is zipped up, but Sara can just picture the corset under the jacket. It's a familiar costume for Sara.
"Oh, um, I know you're dangerous," Ace answers, "I just meant you'd never hurt us. At least, I hope you never would."
The second woman shifts uneasily on her feet and motions to her friend. "Ace, we need to go before anyone finds us," her voice is quiet, but her tone is hard.
Ace ignores her, continuing to stare at Sara. She bights her lip, and glances back and forth between Sara and the other woman. "Look," Sara says, "I'm not sure who you think I am, but I really have somewhere to be."
She steps around Ace and her friend, intending to walk past them and back to the ship when a small, gloved hand wraps around her arm. Ace is looking at the ground when Sara glances at her, so tells herself that is why she is so startled when she speaks. "My name is Alice Megan Queen."
Sara closes her eyes, still poised to walk away but no longer moving. Oh god, they have a daughter, she thinks desperately. They have a daughter, and Felicity is dead. All because I never came back. "Hi."
Alice looks up at Sara then, flashing at brilliant smile. It is Felicity's smile through and through. The street lighting is bright enough that Sara can make out eyes that look like they belong on a younger Oliver. Alice gestures with the hand not holding Sara hand to other woman, who has remained quiet so far. "That's Connor's sister." Sara blinks. Is this the little Sara Laurel had been telling her about?
"Sara Diggle," she says softly. "But Eliza is fine." At Sara's unasked question, Alex clarifies, "My middle name."
"Plus, two Saras might get confusing."
"It's nice to meet both of you," Sara says. She gently removes her wrist from Alice's grips and places them gently around the other girl. Alice returns Sara's hug, squeezing until Sara is almost out of breath. Strong like her parents, too. She unwinds herself from Alice before walking over to Eliza and giving her a hug. She can see the family resemblance between her and Connor now, and how they both have Digg's features on their face.
"You need to leave soon, don't you?" Alice asks as Sara pulls away from Eliza. She can't hide the sorrow in her voice at the thought, and it makes something inside Sara cries out. The thought that this woman would have known her as a child and loved her enough to still care for her despite how ever many years since their last interaction tugs on her heart strings.
"I'm sorry," is all Sara offers up in reply. She hates the fact that she needs to leave, but she can't deny it.
Alice looks at her hesitantly. "Would it be okay if I walked with you? Just for a little while, and I promise I won't try to sneak a look at your tech or anything." She looks so hopeful that Sara can't help but acquiesce.
At Sara's nod, Alice turns to Eliza, who shakes her head. "You go ahead. I'll meet you back at the house. Just be careful," she adds before she leaves.
Sara starts walking, and Alice follows. They've almost covered a block before Sara speaks up. "Ollie said I never came back, so how do you know who I am?"
Alice glances at her out of the corner of her eye, but returns to staring at the ground quickly. "I don't know the full story, how how it happened," she begins with a shrug. "I know one time when I was staying with Aunt Laurel, you came over. I was really young, probably only five or six, but I remember that she thought you looked weird. It wasn't until I saw a picture of you when I got back home that I realize the you that had visited was much older than the one in the picture. From what I've been able to piece together as I got older, you bounced around time and space for away, stopping by to visit when you knew you wouldn't screw up the timeline."
Sara takes a minute to digest the information before grinning. "So I guess I make it out of this mess after all."
The walk for a few minutes in silence after that. Sara is still absorbing the recent events and new information, while holding out hope that she has saved her city. Alice is just enjoying Sara's company, but she knows that it is almost time to turn back. It is why she is not very surprised when Sara stops walking fifteen minutes after they had started. "I guess you need to leave now?" Alice asks quietly.
At Alice's drawn face, Sara wraps her in a fierce hug. "Yeah, I do, but I promise I will come back. Things will be different, okay?"
Alice nods into Sara's shoulder. Sara rubs her back in what she hopes is a soothing manner. "I'm sorry I couldn't save your mom, Alice, but I will do everything in my power to change this future," she promises, pulling away from the woman.
Sara turns away to walk back to the ship, walking with purpose away from Oliver and Felicity's daughter. It's time to kick Savage's ass, so she can go home.