Forgotten (2018 Open Novella Contest/LoT Fanfic)

Epilogue: The End of the Beginning

It was a week later and Jasmine was finally getting ready to leave the Waverider. After spending countless hours in the lab, Stein and Ray had figured out a way to create a portal. It would only be a few minutes until it closed, and Jasmine was saying her final goodbyes.

An hour or so earlier when Jasmine was gathering the few possessions she had on board, Leonard had walked into her room.

"Trying to get rid of me already?" she teased, glancing over at him. He sent her his signature smirk, and revealed what he was holding in his palm.

"Ray and the Professor counteracted the blocking mechanism in your necklace, and there weren't any jewels that were particularly valuable on it, so I figured I'd give it back to you," he said nonchalantly, handing her the necklace that Amaya had taken from her weeks ago. Jasmine didn't know what shocked her more—that she was actually seeing the necklace again, or that Leonard was giving her something.

"Wow, how kind of you," she said playfully, taking the necklace and clasping it around her neck. "I didn't think you were the sentimental type."

"Don't push it, shapeshifter," he said before walking out of her room, but the faintest hint of a smile played across his face.

It wasn't until the portal had fully formed and she stepped in front of it that she came to the realization that this incredible journey really was coming to an end.

"I don't want this to be it," she suddenly said, turning around. "This, this can't be it."

"I know, but don't you miss your family?" Ray said, not wanting Jasmine to miss her chance home while she still had it. "Don't you miss anything from your home?" Jasmine shook her head.

"Like I said before—you guys are my family. And that place was never my home. Sure, I lived there, but it wasn't home. I was persecuted my entire life and I robbed, killed, and did anything I needed to in order to survive. That wasn't the kind of life that anyone should have to live," she said, looking at her teammates. "If you'll have me, I'd love to stay."

"Are you kidding?" Sara said, running back over to Jasmine and uncharacteristically hugging her. "Of course you're welcome here and you will always be welcome here. You're a Legend now." The rest of the team shared similar sentiments, while Leonard just told her that Alex would probably get lonely if she left, earning him a slap in the shoulder from his teenage partner. Staring at the only gateway to her world that was rapidly shrinking, she realized that there was one thing she needed to do.

"There is one thing that I want to do first, and I'm going to need your help," she stated, looking at the team.

"And that is what, exactly?" Leonard asked, watching her with his piercing blue eyes.

"Breaking my sister out of the governments's prison."

"Hold on—you said your sister was dead!" Jax exclaimed, but Jasmine shook her head.

"I never actually said that," she corrected him. "Like Leonard in Season 1 after everyone thought he killed Mick, he never actually did, but no one questioned him so he didn't say anything," she said, earning herself a smirk from Leonard. She guessed that event had probably actually happened in this world and not just on her television screen. The fact that she was with her favorite television characters and they saved the world together was still a concept that she was working to wrap her head around, but she didn't have time. The portal would be gone in seconds.

"We have to go now," she said. "I'll explain everything on the other side, if you choose to come with." She jumped into the otherworldly purple swirl and felt herself land on carpet. When she opened her eyes—realizing that she must have closed them when she jumped—she found herself back in her closet, where this whole adventure had begun less than a month ago. She quickly walked out of the closet to make room. For a few seconds that seemed like a lifetime, Jasmine was alone in her bedroom. Her heart sunk and she felt like crying. After all they had been through, after everything she had done for them and everything they had done for her, in the end, they weren't coming. She turned around to leave but stopped when she heard voices. First Leonard walked out of her closet, then Mick, then Alex, then Sara, and then the rest of the team, besides Rip. She figured it was for the best considering that she was still pissed at Rip, and someone had to stay on the ship.

"Thanks for coming guys," Jasmine said shyly, astonished that they had all come.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Alex teased, sending her a wink. Jasmine rolled her eyes and laughed.

"To be honest, you guys had me worried for a moment there," she admitted. "For a split second I truly thought I was on my own."

"Do you really think we would miss a prison break?" Leonard and Mick asked simultaneously, smirking at each other.

"And they want to help their friend, right?" Alex added, elbowing both of them in the ribs. "Sorry about them, they're like children sometimes." Everyone, including the criminals, chuckled at that comment.

"I figured you three would be here," Jasmine admitted. Leonard sent her a smirk while Alex winked at her. Mick was too busy staring at his unlit lighter to notice.

"So quick background—my sister's name is Cassie, and she was taken when I was thirteen and she was nine," Jasmine said. "A year after they found out about my powers. She didn't have any powers but by imprisoning her they were hoping that they would lure me out as well. And they almost did. One night I managed to sneak into the prison and was about to break Cassie out and turn myself in, but she stopped me. She told me that I had to hide and that she would be okay. That she would be strong for me." Jasmine paused to wipe away a stray tear before continuing.

"So that's what I did. I went into hiding but I promised her that I would come back for her and I've never forgotten about that promise. She might not recognize me because they've probably brainwashed her, she might not even remember her name, let alone that she had a sister. But we're getting her out. I never break my promises."

"Well what are we waiting for?" someone asked. "Let's go kick some ass."

THE END.