If some kid can build a time machine, come back forty years into the past and avert a damn apocalypse, then I can sure as hell make sure live. Do you understand me? You. Are not. Gonna die.
There are times when his stubbornness makes her want to punch through walls, or maybe just skip the middle man and punch him in the head, but right now? She needs it.]
Wally, I'm scared. I don't want to die.
[It's the most honest she's ever been with him. Maybe the most honest she's ever been with anyone.]
[Wally doesn't wait for her to answer the door. He barges in like he owns the place, stampedes up the stairs and opens her door. She didn't run, did she?
[The door flies open--this is becoming a habit, what must her housemates think--and Artemis lets out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.]
[Wally comes over to where Artemis is sitting on her bed and takes a place right next to her. He leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees.]
...there's this girl I know. Laurie Collins. A couple months ago, she told me that all her friends from here told her that she was gonna die when she goes back home. And I asked her if they were trying to find out a way to make sure she doesn't die, and she said they weren't.
Which I thought was bullshit.
So I've already been looking for something that can help. [He hasn't had a lot of luck, but he's crossed off a lot of dead ends, anyway.] And now I'm gonna look harder. You're not going back to die, not in five years, not ever. I promise.
I didn't ask her. [He scratches his nose.] But she'd probably tell you if you asked. [He glances down and sees Artemis's hands shaking in her lap, clenched tight as she fights against it.]
...Artemis. [Why does he keep saying her name? Probably because he's got nothing else he can do. He reaches over and rests a hand atop of hers, squeezing.]
[Her hands stop shaking, but only because she's gone tense all over. Artemis isn't used to being comforted. Even before her mom's fall, that was just never the way her family was, and after her mom was gone...
There's a reason her response to stress or pain or fear is to hug herself into a tight little ball. She had to learn to comfort herself, because no one else was going to do it.
And this is Wally. Ever since she's been back she's wanted so badly for him to touch her, to reach out to her like he did on the Watchtower and just... But not like this. Not for this reason. Not because she's scared and weak and doesn't know what to do with herself. She's not ready for that with him.
And at the same time, that simple gesture is something she needs, just as much as his stubbornness and his refusal to let her die.
She stares at his freckled hand on hers, unmoving, unsure.]
[After a second of that Wally realizes how uncomfortable he's made it, so he just squeezes her fingers before withdrawing back to himself, hands gripping his knees.]
I'm just saying, don't get yourself into doomsday thinking or anything like that. We take care of stuff; that's what we do. We're going to take care of this, and we're gonna make sure everybody makes it to the ripe old age of a hundred. ...I mean except M'gann, obviously she'll live longer.
[The moment his hand is gone, she somehow feels so much more alone, even though he's still right next to her.]
... Okay.
[She doesn't believe it, but he does and that helps.]
But Wally, if something does happen... [When it happens.] Bart said you visit my mom. I know you probably won't remember this when you get home, but... just...
[She glances over at him, suddenly unsure how he'll take the request. It's one thing for him to be okay with her and tell her that she's not her family. It's another to ask him to reach out to that family.]
She's an ex-con, but she's still my mom. And ever since my sister left, I'm kind of all she has.
Not because of that. [Wally's not going to let her joke out of this. He leans closer again, hand going back around her wrist to make sure she pays attention.] Because you're part of the team. And we take care of each other.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice;
You can't promise that.
voice;
If some kid can build a time machine, come back forty years into the past and avert a damn apocalypse, then I can sure as hell make sure live. Do you understand me? You. Are not. Gonna die.
voice;
[Her voice cracks and she swallows hard.
There are times when his stubbornness makes her want to punch through walls, or maybe just skip the middle man and punch him in the head, but right now? She needs it.]
Wally, I'm scared. I don't want to die.
[It's the most honest she's ever been with him. Maybe the most honest she's ever been with anyone.]
voice;
voice;
[But he's already hung up.
She only hopes she has enough time to pull herself together before she has to face him.]
action;
...no. Good.]
Artemis.
[He closes the door behind himself.]
action;
... Wally.
action;
...there's this girl I know. Laurie Collins. A couple months ago, she told me that all her friends from here told her that she was gonna die when she goes back home. And I asked her if they were trying to find out a way to make sure she doesn't die, and she said they weren't.
Which I thought was bullshit.
So I've already been looking for something that can help. [He hasn't had a lot of luck, but he's crossed off a lot of dead ends, anyway.] And now I'm gonna look harder. You're not going back to die, not in five years, not ever. I promise.
action;
If she keeps letting this get to her, she's going to start making mistakes. Kaldur won't even get a chance.]
Your friend... does she know how it happens?
action;
...Artemis. [Why does he keep saying her name? Probably because he's got nothing else he can do. He reaches over and rests a hand atop of hers, squeezing.]
action;
There's a reason her response to stress or pain or fear is to hug herself into a tight little ball. She had to learn to comfort herself, because no one else was going to do it.
And this is Wally. Ever since she's been back she's wanted so badly for him to touch her, to reach out to her like he did on the Watchtower and just... But not like this. Not for this reason. Not because she's scared and weak and doesn't know what to do with herself. She's not ready for that with him.
And at the same time, that simple gesture is something she needs, just as much as his stubbornness and his refusal to let her die.
She stares at his freckled hand on hers, unmoving, unsure.]
Wally...
action;
I'm just saying, don't get yourself into doomsday thinking or anything like that. We take care of stuff; that's what we do. We're going to take care of this, and we're gonna make sure everybody makes it to the ripe old age of a hundred. ...I mean except M'gann, obviously she'll live longer.
action;
... Okay.
[She doesn't believe it, but he does and that helps.]
But Wally, if something does happen... [When it happens.] Bart said you visit my mom. I know you probably won't remember this when you get home, but... just...
action;
action;
[She glances over at him, suddenly unsure how he'll take the request. It's one thing for him to be okay with her and tell her that she's not her family. It's another to ask him to reach out to that family.]
She's an ex-con, but she's still my mom. And ever since my sister left, I'm kind of all she has.
action;
action;
Yeah. Green Arrow or Batman can give you the address. Or... I dunno, maybe I will. I mean it's five years, right? Plenty of time.
action;
action;
[Weak. But nice try, Crock.]
action;
action;
... Thanks.