Summary: Rip Hunter wakes up in a hospital. No idea who he is. Which should probably worry him a lot more than it does, but it turns out he's got family here in the early twenty-first century to look after him.

So everything is going to be just fine.

(For Rip Week Day 4)

Home is Where Your Family Lives

It's not the first time he's woken up somewhere alone with no idea who he is. Which probably makes it ironic that he can remember that fact, but not his own name.

He's in a hospital. Early twenty-first century. Someone in his hearing mentions an ongoing pandemic, which means it's likely either 2020 or 2021. Technically 2022 could work as well, but the accents indicated the United States and, aside from anti-vaxxers and Trump cultists, most citizens of the states were vaccinated and out of the worst of the danger at that point. Though there were a few variants of the disease that continued to cause trouble for some time to come, so Rip couldn't be completely sure of the date, but... 2020 or 2021 felt right.

And how does he know all of that, but not his own age?

Darkness tunnels in on him before he can give it too much thought and the next time he wakes up, he's not alone.

There's a young black man there, sitting beside him, reading a book. "Captain, you awake yet?"

His eyes shut for a moment. Or an hour. He's alone when his eyes open again.

Blinks again and the young man is back. Different outfit and book. Same man, though, there's no doubt about that.

Feeling more aware this time, he tries to sit up.

"Hey, Captain, take it easy." The younger man sets the book aside and helps him sit up against fluffed pillows. Presses a call button for a nurse. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," he muttered. "Why are you calling me Captain?"

The young man freezes for a second. "Rip? What's the last thing you remember?"

"I don't remember anything." He hesitated a second and then said. "I don't know who I am. Or who you are."

There's a moment where stunned grief flashes across the young man's face. But he centers himself quickly. "You're Rip Hunter. Formerly Captain of the Waverider. My name is Jefferson Jackson, but everyone just calls me Jax. We used to work together. We're friends. Family, of a sort."

And maybe some part of Rip does remember. Because the names sound right. And when Jax says they're friends and family… Rip feels such love for this young man. Such pride.

"What happened to me?" Rip gestured to the hospital room. "How did I wind up here?"

"There was… an accident." Jax's tone makes it sound like accident is entirely the wrong word. "You were hurt. This… probably really isn't the place to discuss what happened."

The nurse walks in, underscoring Jax's hesitance.


The year is 2021, the President of the United States is Joe Biden, and there's a global pandemic with the Covid-19 virus. At least Rip knows his knowledge of the timeline is intact even if his self knowledge is a complete blank.

Jax takes Rip home with him, to a lovely house where Jax lives with his spouse, Wally West (xe/xem/xeir pronouns, thought xe had apparently been using he/him/his the last time they'd met), and their baby girl, Martina Jackson.

Wally greets Rip with a hug and then places Martina in his arms. "She's beautiful," Rip tells them both, not quite sure why he's begun to cry. Only that he can't seem to stop.

"She's your niece." Jax's tone is steady and kind.

More kindness than Rip deserves, though that's more suspicion than certainty with his memories still missing.

"And this is your home for as long as you want to stay," Wally added.

"Thank you," Rip gasps out, collapsing carefully onto the couch. Ever so aware of how precious the cargo in his arms is. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying."

"For everything you lost," Jax guessed quietly, sitting beside Rip and rubbing his shoulder lightly. "And maybe everything your future can be now too."


Rip falls asleep in the guest room in the early afternoon. Worn out from his emotions and the confusion of not knowing why he felt so sad and happy all at the same time. He wakes up to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen and follows his nose out to the kitchen table, feeling more like a zombie than a living being.

"Oh, trust me," Jax laughed when Rip voiced that thought, "zombies don't feel anything like being sleep-addled. Mick can joke, but…" Jax trailed off and shook his head. "I'm glad you're here, Rip."

He means more than just Rip being home from the hospital.

"Me too," Wally added, swooping in for another hug out of nowhere and plopping the baby back into Rip's arms so that xe could better assist Jax with the food prep.

Rip handles being handed a baby much better this time. No unexpected tears, just happiness glowing in his chest as he cradled Martina close and let her wrap her tiny little fist around the tip of his index finger.

After dinner, though, Rip finally revisits the question. "What happened to me?"

Wally and Jax exchange looks, Martina currently being held by Jax.

"Rip," Wally says, xeir tone soft. "You died. You… you sacrificed yourself to save us... your crew. From someone called Mallus."

That name. Mallus. It rings a bell in Rip's head and sows cold fear in his chest.

"Everyone's safe?" Rip asked, his voice feeling like it was coming from far away.

"Yeah. Everyone was safe afterwards. We beat Mallus together." Jax hesitated, though, and Rip wondered what he wasn't saying. "One person acting alone can't save the world. You taught us that when you brought us together that first time. But you weren't trying to save the world… you were just trying to save your family. And you bought us the time we needed to find a solution that would let us save the world by putting all our strengths together.

"I don't know how you're still alive – or alive again – but I'm glad we're the ones who found you."

Rip considered that for a moment. That these two young men and their beautiful daughter, truly were his family. And something settled in his chest.

Maybe he didn't save the world, but Rip rather suspects he saved his world. And that's more than good enough for him right now. "I'm glad too. I may not remember any of that, but I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than with family."