Characters: Roy Harper, Jade Harper, Lian Harper
Pairing: Cheshroy
Rating: T/M
Summary: Sometimes an escape from the Shadows can equal a family paradise.
I initially posted this on my Tumblr, but I thought that I could post it up here for fun. I thought that there should be one fic where we see Roy, Jade, and Lian as a small family without showing a battle between good and evil. Plus, it's fun to imagine these two different yet similar people come together to raise a baby together.
Jade's gray eyes opened to her favorite wake-up sight-her strong, gorgeous husband beside her, sleeping, naked, and relaxed. The sheets were tangled around his legs and her chest, and her arm rested across his chest.
Jade smiled at her love and leaned forward to kiss Roy's cheek before reluctantly parting her warm heaven. She pulled on his Star City University shirt and the black satin underpants he bought her while mentally recalling her plan for the day.
The eggs and butter sizzled in the pan and the coffee awoke her nostrils as Jade smiled leaning toward the window, the ocean waving a greeting to her. After her father revealed that his oldest daughter-the loyal Shadows assassin-had married the clone/sleeper agent and gave birth to a child, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Artemis, who were shocked at first but warmed toward the revelation, forced them to take the baby and go into hiding. Luckily, Arrow was able to produce a liquid that would numb the tracer Jade had to swallow for two months. As a result, baby Lian was guaranteed safe.
"Morning, my little beanpole." Two bare, muscular arms snaked around Jade's waist and the redhead kissed her cheek several times, lifted her off her feet, and shifted her weight so that he held her bridal-style.
"Morning, my Hercules," she purred tracing his collarbone to distract herself from his flawless abdomen, the boxers hanging under his hipbones, and the red hair leading from his navel to under the sole clothing he wore.
A sudden wail shook their roof apart, and Roy reluctantly set Jade down on her feet. He had set the table, poured coffee and OJ, and served eggs and toast when Jade walked in, carrying their pride-and-joy in a diaper. Lian laughed and outstretched her arms. Roy scooped up her chubby body in both hands and kissed her nose. "Morning, my baby princess," he greeted kissing her forehead. "Did you sleep well, baby doll?"
Lian giggled. Roy set her on her high chair and entertained her while Jade pulled out a heated bottle, tested the formula on her wrist, and handed it to her daughter, who quickly ate. As formula dripped down Lian's chin Jade wrapped her arms over Roy's shoulders and leaned her head against his back. "So what is the plan for the day?"
"Two words: Swimming. Pool."
Jade had thrown on a teeny black bikini risque enough for only Victoria's Secret models to wear and laughed when Roy walked out of their room, in tight red swim trunks, goggles, and baby Lian with a snorkel and scuba-goggles. She wore a water-proof diaper and a too-big baby shirt. Her mouth sucked on the pacifier around her neck and her little fingers tried to snatch her father's throat.
The swimming pool had a shallow and deep end, a diving board, and personal refrigerator and bar. Roy flicked on the radio to Bahama music and Jade pulled out ingredients for 'Nguyen-Harper cocktails' that she and her husband made personally for every night-until she found out she was pregnant.
Roy rubbed sunscreen on Lian's body while she whined and tried to kick him away, Jade laughing at her disobedient baby girl. "Aw, come on, little girl," Roy sighed adjusting the fidgeting redhead onto his lap and smearing white cream over her face and arms. His wife sat down, calmly finished the chore for him, and kissed the patient baby's head. It always pleased Roy to see Jade's eyes soften while looking at the baby. "Hello, pear-ass," Roy chuckled as he gently touched Jade's backside while she handed him a glass. Jade stuck her out tongue and picked up Lian, who snatched onto the string of her mother's top.
Mother and daughter kissed and Jade slid into the pool to teach Lian to swim. Her little mouth opened and released a squeal while Jade gasped and blew on Lian's face before plunging her head underwater. She pulled the baby back up and Lian's eyes indicated a future wail.
Splash! Lian looked over her shoulder to find the sudden sound and Jade pretended to look shocked. Roy swam up behind his daughter and said "Boo!"
Lian laughed as Roy took her in his hands and faced her round face. Her worm fingers grabbed his red hair and he slid his head under water, Lian tugging on his head as he walked around with the child still on the surface. Jade watched until he snaked one arm under her knees and she fell backwards, frowning but then smiling.
At noon Jade pulled out a fruit container and tried to feed Lian pineapple, but the child moved her head around constantly. When Jade wasn't looking Roy finished both cocktails and snapped a picture of Jade and Lian kissing on the lips. The couple fed each other apple slices, grapes, strawberries, and blueberries while Lian sucked on a bottle and watched the clouds move in the sky.
"You know," the redhead whispered sliding a grape between Jade's teeth, "in all that time we were fighting in Taipi, you were working for the Shadows and I was trying to work independently, I never imagined that this-you, me, and a child we produced-is what really matters to me."
Jade smiled and patted Lian's back until the child softly belched.
After a fish-and-fruit dinner Jade put Lian to bed and set the locks and special security that the Arrows set up. A hand tapped her shoulder, and Jade's cheeks flushed when Roy exposed himself. "Ready to dip in skin?" he grinned.
Jade had removed her swimsuit when he threw her over his shoulder and threw her in the water. He followed and assassin and hero held hands, smiled, and kissed, arms grasping to the other's body. "I"-swallow-"love you...more"-pant-"than anything but Lian," Jade gasped against her husband's chest. He stopped to lean her head back and possess her lips gently before they began to make love at a slow pace.
The next day, Lian had crawled away from breakfast and ran into a room with a hot tub and fridge full of chocolates. That night, they finished each chocolate bite with every sworn declaration of love-"I love you"-bite, chew, swallow-"me too"-as well as the occasional sucking on the other's fingers before proceeding to love-making.
When Jade woke up the next morning with his arms wrapped securely around her, his muscles moving softly as he dreamed, she struggled to remember her teenage ideal paradise and when she was working for the Shadows...
For now, her paradise was her star-crossed husband/love of her life, and the baby girl who stood above everything.
Secret: As much as I love us seeing Artemis' backstory and childhood, I wish we could have seen a small snippet of Kaldur's or Wally's childhoods and see how these heroes grew up, instead of just in the comics