And so it begins...
The crew greeted Sara when she returned from Star City in 2016. The benefit of working on a time machine was choosing not just where, but when to take your shore leave.
Sara had returned home to a time when she was missing from the timeline but her sister Laurel was alive.
She sat next to Ray and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I miss her already.”
He wrapped a brotherly arm over her shoulder and told her he was sorry. Then he sneezed. And sneezed again.
“Oh-oh,” Sara said.
His eyes were turning red and he tried to stifle another sneeze. Then his eyes widened even as they watered. “Where did that come from?” he gasped, pointing at the silky cat currently rubbing Sara’s ankles.
“Are you allergic?” she asked, sounding horrified.
He sneezed again. “Very!”
“Crap,” she said. “I thought it’d be okay to bring him on board. Laurel was going to adopt him but you know…”
Ray nodded. Her sister would be gone soon; murdered by a megalomaniac, which would leave the cat without a human provider again. Ray also wondered if the cat might help Sara through the grieving she would face knowing how her beautiful, too-young sister would be lost.
He tried to take a deep breath and regretted it but gave her a smile. “I bet Gideon knows of some allergy treatment from the future?” he offered.
Sara brightened and scooped up the fluffy furball. She grabbed Ray’s arm and led them to sickbay before he could change his mind.
Mick and Len shared a look. “Idiot,” Len said softly.
“Softhearted idiot,” Mick agreed.
Then they followed to properly meet their new crewmate.