Alex adjusted the corset around her waist, forcing herself to take deep breaths in and out.

She'd always liked the idea of being a saloon girl, but dressing like one was absolute hell.

"You doing okay?" Sara teased, giving her a once over, a smirk on her face.

Alex chuckled through the pain, "Yeah, I just..I probably shouldn't be in this for too long."

"Well if it's any consolation," Sara began, her smirk growing wider as she checked Alex out again, "You look hot."

The two women shared a laugh, their fun cut short by the appearance of Rip, no doubt there to give them another lecture.

"Now, the fabricator can make clothing," Rip began, offering guns to Alex and Sara on either side of him, "but you're also going to need era-appropriate protection. This era can get a little, uh, rough."

Jax was grinning from ear to ear as he held the weapon in his hands, "Oh, six-shooters?"

"Actually, most guns of that time period had hammer blocks," Ray interrupted, grinning like a kid on Christmas day. Alex had never seen him look so happy, "thus reducing the number of shots to five."

She chuckled, something fizzing in her chest as he rambled on.

Rip sighed, heading back toward the main door of the fabricator room, "Now, this should go without saying, but considering this group, I am going to say it," He continued, shooting a pointed look at Snart and Rory, "only use these weapons in the case of extreme emergencies."

Sara and Alex pointed their guns forward, getting used to the feel of the revolver in their hands.

"What's the matter Rip?" Alex teased, shoving the gun in her holster, "You're not a fan of the Old West?"

The Captain shook his head, hesitating, as if choosing his next words carefully, "Indeed I am. But my time is best spent back here on the ship, plotting our next move against Vandal Savage," Alex watched his eyes shift to the left, toward the ground, and she simply shrugged, not having the mental energy to deal with Rip's cryptic words right now, "Besides, as Mr. Rory says, it's only a matter of time before the Hunters find us here."

Snart smirked as he clasped the Captain's shoulder, tipping his hat, "Don't worry. We're not going to put down roots."

Sara cocked her revolver again, "Yeah, we'll stay out of trouble."

Rip shot one last gaze around the room, "Mm, how I hope and pray that to be true."

As they walked through the town, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

She felt invincible as they strode through the saloon doors, but her hair crept up on the back of her neck, that same eerie feeling never leaving her even as she took her seat next to Jax and across from Ray in the booth.

"I can't believe we're really here," The taller man whispered excitedly, "When I was a kid, my brother and I would play cowboys and indians all the time,"

An awkward pause hung over the trio and Alex tried not to choke on the beer they had been served.

Ray grimaced, "Which I now realize is an awful stereotype."

Jax nodded in agreement, "Yeah dude,"

Alex chuckled at the two, "I never saw Westerns as a kid," She admitted, watching surprise pass over Ray's face, "The first one I saw was Tombstone, and my friend insisted I watched it because it was a 'classic' in his eyes."

"That's because it is," Ray scoffed, disbelief in his gaze.

Jax however, decided to focus on the other part of that statement, "You had friends?"
Alex slapped him gently in the shoulder, his laugh echoing in her ears, cut off by the sound of a gunshot coming from the card table.

The trio turned toward the sound, and Alex saw the smoking gun in Leonard's hands.

Great. Exactly what they needed right now.

She couldn't hear the conversation, but when an unknown man went for a punch, Alex didn't need an explanation. Standing up, she readied herself for a fight, breaking a chair over one of the gang member's heads, using the broken leg to block the blows coming her way.

She curled her fists, smacking them against the man's jaw, sending him reeling before her foot collided with his ass, sending him flying through the now broken window.

"Alex look out!" Ray called. She spun around in time to dodge a fist to the face, which Ray graciously returned before she pushed the man into one of the pillars of the bar, the fight coming to an end with the sound of several gunshots being fired into the air.

"All right!" The man yelled, his southern accent catching her off guard, "Playtime's over, Anybody's got a problem with that, they answer to me."

The bar slowly dispersed, and Alex panted heavily, a wide smile on her face as she met Ray's gaze.

"We just got into a bar brawl," He grinned excitedly, and Alex couldn't help but laugh.

They followed Stein out of the bar, the hairs on the back of Alex's neck standing up again as she stared at the man who had broken up the fight.

Jonah Hex, he had told them.

And she didn't like him one bit.

"All right. Why don't you folks tell me where you're really from?" Jonah challenged, not looking at any of them.

Ray was the first person to respond, "I'm not sure that's any of your business, sir."

Hex sighed, finally turning to face the group, a certain glint in his eyes as he scanned them.

"Let me rephrase that, Tell me when y'all from."

That caught them all of guard. Alex dropped her arms to her side, uncomfortable with the idea that someone else knew that they were time travelers.

"You seven stick out like a dog in a manger." Hex explained, scoffing softly, "You think you're the first time travelers I've ever come across?"

"Uh, Yeah." Alex and Stein spoke at the same time, not happy with how the tables had been turned.

Hex turned to Sara, the glint disappearing as a more serious look crossed his face, accentuated by the scar tissue, "Where is he? I got some words that need saying."

Sara never wavered under his gaze, "Where is who?"

"Rip Hunter."

***

"I'm getting really sick of Rip not telling us everything upfront," Sara complained, keeping watch for Alex as she changed into something more comfortable.

"Yeah no kidding," Alex agreed, buttoning the wide-legged pants and slipping her boots on. Rip had been keeping secrets from them since the beginning, and she was getting tired of it. If he wanted them to trust him, then he had to prove that he was worthy of being trusted. She pulled on her duster and adjusted her hat, following Sara out of the fabricator room and toward the bridge, running into Kendra.

"Hey," Sara stopped the woman, "Bridge is, uh, that way." She pointed the opposite way the other woman was walking.

She looked distracted, like something had rattled her back at the saloon, "Yeah, I'm not going to the bridge." Kendra informed them, "I'm, uh--Where am I going, Gideon?"

The AI chimed in with directions, "The valley you described is consistent with Albano Gulch."

"Why are you headed there?" Alex asked, trying to understand what had caused Kendra to want to go off on her own.

The hawkwoman sighed, upset with having to explain herself again, "Back at the saloon, I ran into a woman," Kendra began, a hurried tone in her voice, "and she caused me to have more memory flashes, so I think I might have known her in one of my past lives." Alex knew where this was headed and she didn't like it one bit, "And if so, she might be able to help me find Carter." Kendra explained, continuing to walk toward the exit.

Sara stopped her again, "Wait. So you're just gonna run out there and try and find her?"

"Actually, I was planning on flying."

Alex scoffed, "and how were you going to explain that to the town?"

The other woman rolled her eyes, but hesitated. Alex knew she had hit the right spot.

Sara shared a look with Alex, a gleam in her eye, "You want a couple of partners in crime?"

Kendra raised a skeptical brow, her brown eyes lingering on Alex's figure, "Okay, fine, how do you propose we get there?"

Sara and Alex shared another look. They knew exactly how they were getting there.

The horses were relatively easy to find, and thanks to Alex's childhood training, they didn't take too long to tame either.

She relished in the wind blowing her hair back, closing her eyes as the rhythm of the horse's hooves reminded her of the many days she spent on Themyscira, riding until she reached the edge of the island, gazing out over the bright blue waves, wishing to go back home. Back to the world of man.

She stayed in that memory until they reached the valley they had been looking for, dismounting and rewarding the horse with a sugar cube she had stolen from the Waverider, gently petting the animal's nose as she tied up the reins, joining Sara and Kendra in examining the valley.

Their trip had taken up most of the day, and the sun was already beginning to set.

"I wonder why she lives alone all the way out here," Kendra muttered aloud, confusion settling across her face.

"Probably because she doesn't want to be disturbed," Alex tried to answer, hairs pricking up again, and her hand hovered over her revolver.

The sound of a shotgun being cocked was heard and an older woman emerged from the brush, a wild look in her eyes, "You're damn right I don't wanna be disturbed!"

Kendra placed herself in front of the shotgun, gesturing for Sara and Alex to lower their weapons. They didn't.

"Wait, wait, wait," Kendra tried to talk the woman down, "Don't you remember me from the saloon back in Salvation?"

"I remembered you, you wigged-out little girl. If I'd wanted to talk to you then, I would have talked to you then. I ain't fixing to talk to you now. Now, get off my land!"

"Listen," Sara spoke up, not lowering her revolver until the other woman did, "we're not trying to start any trouble."

The older woman snarled at the three of them, "Do you want that pretty little mouth of yours filled with lead?"

Alex launched a warning shot into the ground, "Do you want yours?"

The two women stared at each other, tension like a taut cord ready to break at any moment. The older woman never dropped her weapon. Neither did Alex.

It was a standoff, and Alex wasn't sure she'd even win. But she'd protect Sara as best she could.

"I don't think your friend wants to talk" Alex muttered, anger stirring just under the surface. She was tired of everyone trying to kill her and her friends all the time.

"I ain't got friends!" The older woman yelled, "I keep to myself."

Kendra pressed forward again, realization hitting her face, "She's right. She wasn't my friend. I was her."

Sara and Alex shared a look of confusion before the older woman set down her shotgun, Alex and Sara following suit. The sun was nearly gone now, darkness settling over the four of them as the older woman fixed a fire, handing them cups of tea to drink out of.

Alex still didn't feel safe, even knowing that she was a past incarnation of Kendra.

She handed a photo to the current version of Kendra, smiling as she did.

"We sat for that picture at the county fair, 1830," The older woman explained, and Alex snuck a peek. "He looked like such a gentleman."

The couple looked so happy, the same way Alex did in the photo Brice had given her on their last mission.

Kendra smiled as she handed the picture back to her past self, "What was his name?"

"Hannibal. Hannibal Hawkes."

"And what happened?" Alex asked, hoping to understand exactly how Savage was able to find them over and over again.

The older woman hesitated, clearly upset with the question.

Sara saved the day, "Was it Savage?"

The older woman nodded.

Kendra examined the picture again, asking about a beautiful bracelet her past self had been wearing.

"That was ours in our first life." The older woman explained, pouring herself another cup of tea.

"I remember."

Alex watched Kendra stare off into the distance, the way she always did when she got a flashback.

The two women weren't even paying attention to what the older woman was saying, Alex was too focused on making sure that Kendra didn't get lost in her thoughts, and Kendra was too busy staring at the photo.

"Do you still have it?" Alex asked, finally understanding why Kendra was so focused on the bracelet, remembering what Rip had said way back when they were first dealing with Savage.

The older woman shook her head sadly, "We lost it to bandits about a year later. We heard that the Pinkertons were after the same bandits, but we just--"

Sara cut the woman off and turned toward Kendra, "Hey. What is it?"

Kendra finally broke free of her trance, facing Sara and Alex, "Objects present at the moment of my our first death can be used to kill Savage." She explained, an idea forming in her head, "So, if I can get my hands on that bracelet, then--"

"You're going to try to kill Savage with a bracelet?" Her past self scoffed, anger spilling out, "You need to stop."

"Stop what?"

"Fighting our destiny." The older woman urged, a hint of frustration crossing her face, "Ain't destiny what brought you here?"

Sara creased her eyebrows together, "What part of destiny is she fighting?"

The older woman's expression dropped, an upset look in her eyes, "All of it. We get reborn. We find Hannibal or Carter then Savage finds us," The woman hesitated, letting out a reluctant sigh, "and then we die. That's the way it is. It's the way it's always gonna be."

Alex couldn't listen anymore.

If what the older woman was saying was true, then that meant that Ray was screwed no matter what. That meant that she had willingly contributed to Ray's eventual heartbreak.

Because Kendra will either choose Carter or die, and Alex refused to believe the latter.

She had to tell Ray soon.

It was the only way to make sure their relationship would actually work. It was the only way to protect Ray from whatever comes next.

When they got back to the ship, Alex hung back, trying to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do.

She had made Kendra a promise weeks ago, but this clearly made her reconsider right? Clearly her experience with her older self would help her see that she can't lie to Ray anymore.

It has to.

She walked up the ramp and joined the other woman, Kendra chewed on her lip as she faced the wall.

"I know what you're going to say," She began, noticing Alex's presence and turning around to face the other woman.

Alex crossed her arms, "You have to tell him, Kendra," She began, "He deserves to know."

Kendra shook her head, "No I don't," She spoke up, "What happened in my past lives shouldn't affect me now--"

"But it does," Alex's tone was clipped, annoyed with the other woman's wishy-washy behavior, "Everything you've done, past or present, always affects you now. And if that woman is correct--"

"We don't know if she is!"

Alex scoffed, pressing forward, "Yes we do!" Kendra was taken aback by her sudden outburst, "She's lived your life, loved other men, she was your age when Savage killed her husband. Of course, she knows what it's like!" The words were spilling out now, and everything that Alex had been holding back was now coming forth. She wouldn't take part in this anymore. She wouldn't hurt Ray anymore than she already had.

"Since 1958, you have been torn between Ray and Carter," Alex began, her voice increasing, "And I let you drag me into it, because I supported you, because I know how it felt," Her anger was bubbling to the surface, boiling over the pot she had kept it concealed in, "I have kept this a secret for far too long, and I can't, I won't be a part of it anymore."

Kendra sat in stunned silence, shock in her eyes as she grew angrier at Alex's words. "What are you saying?"
Alex huffed, letting the tension build between them as she moved closer, only a few inches between the two women. She clenched her jaw, laying everything out on the table.

She was tired of being a doormat.

She was tired of prioritizing someone else's feelings.

She wanted to be herself again.

"If you don't tell Ray about this afternoon, and the flashes..." Alex began, leaving her threat hanging for a while, Kendra gulping as she waited for the other half of the statement, "Then I will."

Kendra pressed forward, her frown turning slightly upward into a knowing smirk, "You tell Ray about the flashes?" Her smirk disappeared, replaced with bared teeth, "Then I'll tell him about the photo."

They were at a crossroads here.

Alex knew she was in the right here. Ray didn't need to know his future, the same way Kendra didn't. It was too dangerous.

But Kendra had been lying about her relationship with him since 1958. Two years of leading him on, promising to marry him, and then setting him up for eventual heartbreak.

And Alex had let herself be dragged into it.

"I'm keeping it a secret to protect him," Alex growled, her voice low as she narrowed her eyes at the woman in front of her, "Ray doesn't need to know his future. You're keeping Carter a secret to protect you."

Her words hung in the air as she pushed past Kendra, marching off toward the bridge of the Waverider, breathing shallowly at the thought of Ray finding the picture, of Kendra telling him about the picture.

And she knew there was only one thing left to do.

"Gideon," Alex began, acknowledging the AI.

"Yes, Miss Prince?"

Alex's hands shook and she curled them into fists to calm herself down, "I need you to fabricate a candle and some matches please."

"Right away Miss Prince."

The walk to her room was quick. Her pace picking up as she moved through the halls.

A familiar figure was sprawled across her bed, holding the piece of paper she was looking for in its hands.

"Looking for this Girl Scout?" Leonard smirked, waving the picture in front of her face.

"Leonard, please," Alex begged, pressing forward, no sarcasm at all in her tone, "I need that photo."

Snart smirked, standing up from his position in the bed, reading from the back of the card, "Ray and Alex, engagement party 2020" Leonard's smirk grew wider, eyes dancing, "Mazel Tov, should I be offended I didn't get an invitation?"

Alex rolled her eyes, she didn't have time for this, "Leonard enough, this isn't funny."

"No, I think it is," The space between them was too close, barely an inch. "Because sometime in the next five years you and Raymond decide to tie the knot and you haven't told him yet."

She didn't need to have this conversation right now.

And she certainly wasn't going to have this conversation with Leonard.

"Because he doesn't need to know," She explained as if it was obvious, plucking the photo from his tight grip, "Time is cement and all that bullshit."
She could feel Leonard's cold stare against her back as she stared at the piece of film in her hand. This was the only way.

She was doing this to protect Ray. Leonard plucked the picture from her hands again, clearly not done with this conversation.

"You sure this is entirely about Raymond?" He smirked, "Because I think this is about you."

Alex shook her head, sticking her tongue through her teeth, "This is about protecting Ray" She insisted, "No one should know too much about their own future, you saw what it did to him when we first got here."

"Yes, and your little speech refueled his annoying optimism," Leonard drawled, wandering around her room, playing with what little possessions she had.

Alex let out a frustrated sigh, "Are you gonna give me the picture or not?"

Leonard's smirk drew itself on his face again and he whipped around to meet her gaze, pocketing the photo. "I think I might hold onto it for a while. See what happens."

She bit her lip, she really was left with no choice.

"Then I'm sorry," She responded cryptically.

"For what?"
"This." She launched a roundhouse kick into his chest at full strength, sending him colliding with the wall. He recovered enough to launch a fist in her direction, which she caught and twisted, hearing the distinct pop of his shoulder leaving its socket.

Snart let out a scream and she dug into his jacket for the photo, placing it in her large pants pocket before pushing the shoulder back into place, "That should feel better in a few hours, sorry Leonard."

Leaving him squirming on her bedroom floor, she stopped by the fabricator to grab her candle and matches and moved to the lab, since her room was officially off-limits.

By some divine luck, no one was there and she felt herself sigh in relief.

"Are you sure you want to do this Miss Prince?" Gideon's electronic voice came over the PA.

Alex rolled her eyes, annoyance filling her back up again, "Not you too Gideon."

"It is a potential hazard and you did just dislocate Mr. Snart's arm." Gideon continued, "Perhaps I should advise you--"

"Gideon, I love you," Alex began, not wanting any more distractions, "But this is something I need to do."

"Yes, Miss Prince."

She lit the wick, watching the red and yellow flames flicker back and forth as she grabbed a metal cup to place the photo in later.

Alex gently touched the tip of the photo to the fire, the paper engulfed in seconds, the only remnant of their future burned away.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Mick's voice came from beside her, causing her to flinch slightly. "The bright colors all you can see, the flames enveloping everything you know," His stare never left the burning photo in the cup.

She joined him, watching everything burn away, curling over on itself slowly, almost reluctantly.

"You were right," Mick's voice interrupted her thoughts again, "Too much knowledge about one's future is dangerous, especially now."

"Then why doesn't it feel good?" Alex asked flatly, no emotion in her voice whatsoever. Her chest constricted and she couldn't look at the sight anymore, turning around to leave the Lab and the burning picture behind.

***

She ran into Sara on her way toward the bridge. The blonde was twirling her bo staff, retracting it and placing it in the pocket of her duster.

"What's going on?" Alex asked, leaning against the wall. Sara smirked and tossed her a black cylinder.

"Ray and Rip got themselves in trouble again," Sara teased, gesturing to the cylinder she had just handed to Alex, "But he did manage to make that for you before he went off to his stand-off."

Alex gripped the object in her hand, noticing the way it felt like a hilt in her hands, the soft leather providing a nice comfort to her. She whipped it forward, the way she would with her lasso, the separate parts of the blade held together with a tight string, clicking together to form a blade, which she took a few swings with before retracting it again.

Alex smiled at the weapon. Ray had built this for her. He had made sure she would always have a way to protect herself.

"Let's go stop those dumbasses from getting themselves killed," She encouraged, stuffing the sword in her pocket.

Alex stood next to Ray and Sara, eagerly waiting for Stillwater's people to arrive with Jax in tow so they could finally start this duel.

She didn't know much about Rip, but she was grateful for him stepping up so Ray didn't get himself killed trying to be a hero.

Leonard led Stillwater out into the dusty streets, the gang leader trading words with her friend before being cut free.

Waiting was worse than watching. Alex wasn't sure how much faith she had in Rip, but if he survived this, she'd never dispute a thing he said again.

A camera was poised, ready to take a picture whenever they drew their guns. Ray counted down and a bang echoed through the old town, Rip's gun smoking as a flash went off, capturing the historic moment on film forever.

Cheers erupted from the town as Jax was set free, the gang trotting away and Alex embraced the kid in her arms, releasing him so he could reunite with Stein and thank Rip.

Unfortunately, she caught a glimpse of grey armor out of the corner of her eye, the sound of heavy footsteps growing closer.

"I don't think we're done here yet," Sara spoke, drawing everyone's attention to the Hunters who had now found them.

Citizens began to run, and when the cameraman almost pushed her down, she finally realized how they had found them.

The picture.

"Oh, no." Rip gulped, staring down the line of bounty hunters, "They found us."

Alex ducked behind a building, avoiding the laser blasts. She reached for the sword in her pocket, whipping it forward before jumping into the street, Sara beside her, her bo staff at the ready.

There were only six of them, but somehow it felt like they were fighting an entire army at once. She parried the blows and landed a roundhouse kick in the Hunter's head, sending him stumbling back, snarling as he went for another attack. She flipped over his charge, landing on her feet and stabbing the sword through his armor, piercing his skin. She pulled the weapon free, the Hunter collapsing to his knees before landing face first in the dirt.

She heard the distinct snap of a neck and another Hunter fell at Mick's feet, the fight over as quickly as it had begun.

***

She found Ray in the Lab, fixing some of the damage that had been done to his suit.

"Hey," Alex smiled, moving to his side.

Ray returned the smile, "Hey," He continued to work on his suit, the machinery sparking as he began to put the pieces back together.

"I wanted to thank you," She announced, placing the retractable weapon on the counter, "For the weapon, it's...amazing."

Ray smiled at her praise, twirling his work in his hands, "It's yours," He admitted, placing the weapon back in her hands, their fingers grazing each other's palms, shivers erupting down her back at the touch.

"I uh...I made it for you," Ray confessed, still not letting go of her hand. Alex nodded, tearing her fingers away from the soft touch, curling them around the hilt.

"Well, thank you," She smiled, clutching the hilt to her chest as she left the room, not wanting to look back. She forced herself to breathe slowly, deeply, so she wasn't overwhelmed. She leaned against the closed door of the lab, a soft laugh escaping her lips as she shoved the hilt in her pocket, a grin spreading across her entire face.

She didn't even notice the lingering look Ray was sending her way, and when he was sure she was gone, he removed his stack of books to reveal the edge of the exact photo she had burned that day.

"Gideon," He requested.

"Yes, Mr. Palmer?"

"Can you recreate this picture?"

The AI was silent, as if afraid of what would happen if she said yes. Technically she could, but she knew it was wrong. Alex wanted that photo a secret, even threatened her if Gideon revealed it.

"I can certainly try Mr. Palmer."

Ray watched as the picture began to repair itself, the damage from the fire being repaired as a figure began to appear, and he stumbled back as he realized who it was. It was Alex, a wide smile on her face, as if she had been laughing when the picture had been taken.

He caught the glimpse of a masculine hand by her side, the edge of a suit appearing, but before he could figure it out, the fabrication process stopped.

"Gideon, what's going on?" He asked, something desperate tugging at his chest, demanding he find out who the man in the photo was. "Why'd you stop?"

"I'm afraid that's all I saw Mr. Palmer." The AI announced, "I, unfortunately, cannot fabricate something I have not seen."

Ray sighed, running his hands through his hair. He stared at Alex's figure for a while before turning the picture over, dropping the paper as he read the messy scrawl on the back.

Engagement Party, 2020.

***

Alex joined the rest of the crew on the bridge, waiting for their next move. The hunters were gone, so it should be back to Savage now.

"So where to now?" Snart asked, joining Alex by her side.

Sara followed suit, flanking her other side, "Or, more specifically, when?"

"Maybe there's another Salvation we can hide in," Alex offered, moving to search the timeline. Rip stopped her hand.

"Unfortunately, matters are not quite so simple."

Alex sighed, and Jax said exactly what she was thinking, "How'd I know you were gonna say something like that?"

This time it was Mick who answered, "The Time Masters have issued Omega Protocols on all of us."

Alex didn't know what it meant, but the way Mick said it didn't sound good.

"The worst kind of order they can issue," Mick continued, "they've sent the Pilgrim after us."

"The Pilgrim?" Alex asked, trying to get a better sense of what they were up against.

Rip answered this time, "The Pilgrim is the Time Masters' most deadly assassin, and she will stop at nothing until each and every one of you is dead."

Leonard wasn't taking any of this seriously, "Ooh, scary," He mocked, "Pretty sure we can handle ourselves."

Rip nodded, "Indeed which is why she won't be going after the present-day versions of you."

Alex creased her brow, sharing a look with Sara as the two of them tried to understand what was happening.

"She's hunting our younger selves." Mick explained, "And she won't stop until each and every one of us has been erased from the timeline."