Hidden Love-Charlie

Tagumo Attacks!!!

It was hard to leave John's side after that night. I couldn't save John without a second source of dark magic- one that I had no access to. So, I ate, I slept, I lived by John's bedside in the medbay, trying to make sure that he stayed alive. Days went by quickly and slowly, and, by not leaving the room, the only measurement of time I had was the amount of time I slept. So, I believe it was day seven when I woke up to Sara and Ray just entering the medbay.

"Morning, Sunshine." Sara muttered sarcastically to me, dropping a bottle of water next to me.

"Thanks, love." I took a sip of the water, soon feeling a burning sensation in my throat. "Not water. Vodka, got it."

"There's got to be another way to fix him, Liv. Something you missed."

"I told you, love. I need a strong source of dark magic to help me with this one. John used magic to help save the lads back at camp. He needs something twice as powerful to make up for it. I only make up half of that magic."

Sara turned to Ray and then back to me. "What about Nora Darhk?"

"I mean, it would work. The thought crossed my mind, but we have no idea where she is, do we?"

"That is the problem. She has the time stone." Ray muttered.

"Yeah, thanks to you." I added harshly.

He ignored my comment, continuing with his point. "She could literally be anywhere or any-when. The Bureau can't even seem to find her."

"You know, when I was a kid, there was this one escaped con my dad was after. And everyone assumed that he had fled the country. You know where they found him? Not a block from the police precinct."

"So you think Nora is thick enough to be hiding right in the Bureau's backyard?" I squinted my eyes, not believing that Nora was actually that stupid.

"Gideon, do a Nora Darhk facial recognition scan of 2018." The computer fritzed a bit, eventually pulling up a photo of Nora.

"I have located a potential match."

Ray looked at the computer with a mix of emotions I can't even begin to describe. "That's her."

"Right in the bureau's bloody backyard. Bravo, Detective Lance."

"Captain, our systems have identified the presence of a new fugitive. This one is in 1951 Tokyo."

"All right, let's divide and conquer. I'll take care of Tokyo. You two go find our witch, make her help fix our warlock."

She left, leaving Ray and I there to devise a plan. "If Nora Darhk sees me, she's not going to help. But you gave her time stone, so she owes you, yeah?"

"I mean, I guess."

"So you find her, I'll monitor Johnny, make sure he doesn't die. Any objections?" Ray just shook his head. "Perfect."

XXX

"Blimey, you actually did it." I looked at Ray who entered the medbay of the waverider with none other than Nora Darhk. I led her to my brother's bedside, John deciding now of all times to wake up.

"Nora Darhk, what the blooming hell are you doing here, eh?"

She nodded her head towards Ray. "I owed this guy a favor."

John looked over to me. "She shouldn't be here, love. I warned you." He tried to sit up, quickly failing and slinking back into his seat, completely out of energy.

"I need her help, Johnny." I admitted. "Here, love." I took her hand, placing my free one over John's body.

Upon seeing his condition, Nora pulled her hand away from mine. "What the hell did he do?"

"Doesn't matter, love. Can you help me or what?"

XXX

The red magic twirled from Nora's fingers, hovering over John's body. "So, can you save him?" Ray asked as the red light went back to her fingers.

"Life force is the most potent form of energy in the universe, and John's a battery about to run out of charge." Nora tried her best to explain.

I looked down at my brother. "You already knew that, didn't you?"

"Aye." He confirmed.

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"What? And scare this living hell out of you and help push Nora off the wagon?" He looked over at her as best he could. "You're clean, Nora. It's best we keep it that way."

Ray pulled Nora away, leaving me with John, who was too weak to keep talking.

XXX

Ray stood at the door while Nora and I assessed John one last time before going through with the plan the three of us had concocted. "Dez." John muttered weakly, a small, barely noticeable smile breaking out across his face.

"Dez is gone, Johnny. We made sure of it, remember?" I whispered, trying to bring John's mind back to the present.

Nora went for his shirt to prep him, John grabbing her arm more swiftly than I could imagine he would in his state. "Nora, don't."

"Don't talk. Save your strength." Nora responded sternly.

"Nora, listen to me, listen to me. As smart as Ray is, he doesn't understand what you and Liv are about to do. Choosing a life of magic, you're either all in or you're not. There's no half measures. And the three of us all know it never leads to a happy ending." John took her hand, passing her a memory of him and Dez to her. "So if you're gonna do this, you don't do it for Ray. You don't do it for me. You do it for yourself, all right? It's your choice. It's your choice." He continued to mutter that as the strength was literally taken out of his body.

Ray entered, appearing next to Nora with everything we needed. "Are you guys ready?"

"Yes." Nora answered, shedding her leather jacket.

"Been ready, mate." We each placed a hand on John's chest and the other on an electrically charged tube. Ray activated the power, sending the energy through the tubes, through our bodies, and into John. It seemed to work. As we let go of the tubes, John's eyes were full of life and energy.

"Oh, what a rush." He didn't mutter it. He said it.

"Atta boy, Johnny." I ruffled a hand through his messy, blonde hair.

XXX

That night, Nora Darhk was gone. Gone as in she turned herself into the time bureau. John was better, and for the first time in a week, I had left the medbay. While everyone slept, I sat at a table in the galley, sipping on the odd tasting whiskey that Gideon had fabricated.

"I see you finally left the medbay." Charlie observed, grabbing a glass and taking a seat next to me. "I guess that means that John-O is better."

"Yeah, it's been a week, so I guess I needed something to take the edge off of it." I twiddled with my glass. "Whiskey tastes off though."

Charlie poured a heaping amount into her glass, spitting most of it out after tasting it. "Gids, you call this whiskey?"

I stared at her with intent as Gideon answered. "My apologies. Miss Lance had me dry out the ship's liquor supply to prevent Mr. Rory from breaking something else." Charlie stared back at me as she continued. "I can change the settings and fabricate you another bottle now, if you'd like?"

"Thanks, Gids, but I think I just found something else to take the edge off."