Chapter 1: Artemis and Wally
She doesn't know if she wants it to be positive or not. On one hand, she and Wally have been married two years, and they aren't kids any more. They've always talked about them, and he loves the idea if a family. On the other, her own mother wasn't the best example, and her sister was also less than ideal at motherhood, so what did that say about her potential at it? She didn't feel ready for a kid. And if her dad takes an interest….. No, she couldn't think like that. Her timer went off, and she looked.
Positive.
Whoa. She's going to be a mom. She's caught in a whirlwind of emotions right now. Happy, nervous, out-right scared, but mostly complete and utter surprise. She checks again. If anything, the plus sign is clearer. Okay, she thinks, taking a deep breath. How do I tell Wally?
Wally, you know how you've always wanted kids? No.
Babe, I'm pregnant. No.
Artemis sighed. She'd figure it out. Right now, she needed to start on dinner. She turned around to find her husband staring at her, and she just holds the test out wordlessly. He takes it, glances at it, and then looks up at her. She sees some of the emotions she's feeling in his eyes, but he looks so happy. She smiles at him.
"We're going to be parents?" he asks. She can't resist making a comment.
"Yes Baywatch, that's what the plus sign means" He smiles at the old nickname, and puts the test on the counter. They both take another look, but the plus sign hasn't changed.
"You should probably see a doctor, just to be sure, I mean it's a small chance… and we should look at getting a house..." he trails off, seeing her expression.
"Are you alright?"
"What if I can't do it?" she whispers.
"Do what?"
"Be a mom. I didn't exactly have the best examples."
"Hey, you'll be great." Wally tells her, wrapping his arms around her. It's a sweet moment until his stomach growls. She smiles, twisting out of his grip, and goes to fix dinner.
When they announce it to the team, M'Gann squeals (causing Conner to wince), Zatanna pulls her into a hug, and Raquel's got this grin that's a mile wide. The guys are all slapping Wally's back grinning. They've lost count by now of all the "Congratulations" from his family, from her mom, from Ollie and Dinah and now the team. M'Gann starts chattering on about baby shower plans and Conner puts a hand on her arm to quiet her.
"Oh, this is just so wonderful," she gushes. As they turn around, they see Batman standing there, and he's – dear Lord, he's smiling.
"Congratulations. I assume you'll want to be taken off active duty?" Artemis nods, and still smiling, he leaves, the Zeta tube announcing his departure. Everyone except Dick is still in shock, so, still being a troll at heart, he takes a picture.
They're both a little nervous at the first ultrasound. The technician, a nice old lady named Clara, gives them a reassuring smile as she powers up the machine.
"Alright, here's the head, and there's a foot. Would you like to know the gender?" They glance at each other.
"Sure" Artemis says, and Clara swivels the device a little bit.
"Congratulations, it's a boy." She tells them, and turns the machine off, handing Artemis a towel to wipe the ultrasound goo off.
"Guess that means we'll be painting in blue," She says as they drive to their new house.
"Yup," he tells her, and they sit in comfortable silence all the way home.
After twelve hours of labor, his hand almost being broken several times and a variety of swears in four languages, Wally finally gets to hold his son. Jayden West has his hair and Artemis' eyes. He looks over at his wife, who is sleeping, and can't help but smile. Wally feels so proud as he looks at his tiny son, eight pounds seven ounces at birth, when his uncle Barry comes in with Iris and their kids, Don and Dawn. He grins at the retired Flash and Iris.
"Hey guys, come meet Jayden," He says, standing very carefully. They coo and hold him and joke that he's the third cutest baby they've ever seen. Don doesn't really see what the big fuss is, but Dawn absolutely loves her new cousin.
"Can I hold him?" she asks, her voice really quiet. They make her sit down first, but they let her. Artemis groans as she starts to wake up, and Wally and Iris are at her side instantly.
"How do you feel?" Iris asks.
"Like I just gave birth," Iris laughs.
"At least it wasn't twins" she tells Artemis.
Barry comes up and hands Jayden to her. She smiles down at the sleeping boy. After a few more minutes, the Allens leave, and it's just the parents.
"We make a good looking kid huh?" Wally says.
"Yeah. We do." She smiles. Careful not to squish Jayden, Wally gives Artemis a quick peck on the lips. They have a family.
When they get home, there's a constant stream of visitors for the first two weeks. If M'Gann and Conner aren't there, fussing over Jayden or talking to Wally respectively, it's Dick and Zatanna helping around the house, or Ollie and Dinah, who seem hell-bent on spoiling Jayden to their fullest extent, or Kaldur and Raquel, offering sage advice and funny commentary on kids alternatively, or the proud grandparents, then it's another random leaguer expressing their congratulations. There was also one visit from her sister, but Jade just leaves a stuffed Cheshire cat on the window of the nursery, and that's all they see of her. But finally they get a little peace and quiet.
Jayden will only fall asleep if someone sings to him, so Artemis has started to sing the old Vietnamese lullabies from her childhood. He's a sweet little kid, and everyone loves him.
He starts running at only eighteen months old, and she has no doubt Jayden's a speedster. But for now, she can catch him. When he gets a little older though, only Wally or another speedster can get him. They have a long talk before his first day of school about not going too fast. When he's ten he breaks the sound barrier, which leaves Don a little jealous, because he was twelve before he could. He tends to speed through life. But there are times he slows down.
Like now, as she watches him cross the stage to get his diploma. He's been accepted at their alma mater, Stanford, as well as other great schools. But he picks Stanford, and is majoring in Genetics. Artemis and Wally are so proud, and they tell him so after the ceremony. Their two other kids, Iris and Ritchie, are just glad that graduation is over so they can have cake. As they walk to the car, no one would think that there were several superheroes/ heroes-in-training in that family. And that's just what they want you to think.
When Jayden becomes the Flash, it's a big hullabaloo at the watchtower. Don, now Impulse, claps him on the back, and everyone is smiling. All the people he's grown up with as uncles, aunts and cousins are there, and the joy in his eyes as he takes the costume ring is just as clear as that little plus sign all those years ago, Artemis thinks. She tears up a little, but that's expected. That's what being a mom means. That you cry when they grow up, no matter how happy you are.
