"Don't give me that crap Rufus." I swallowed the apple chunk in my throat before giving him the stink eye. "You said Monday, it's Friday."
"Wally, knock it off." I heard him spit to me from under the metal orb.
"You said Monday, it's Friday."
"I know." He said again, annoyed. "I don't want to kill you okay? Things like this take time."
"Shut up Rufus." I spat to him, taking another bite. He didn't know anything about waiting. He didn't know anything about this unending pain of waiting.
"You are lucky, you could have died." He said again, voice muffled as he melted two pieces together.
"I don't care, I just want to get back." I said, softly swallowing. I had waited too long.
"It won't matter to her, you'll be there a month or so after you left." That was still a month of her suffering and it wasn't worth it. I didn't want to cause her any pain.
"I've been waiting too long." I said as he pushed himself out from under the twisted metal structure, face coated with grease.
"I know you have Wally, and I'm sorry." He said, grabbing a rag and wiped his face down. "But this takes time, the technology you're asking for…well it hasn't even been invented yet."
"It's been two years and I've given you everything you need…" My stomach knotted at any hope I had at getting home as it always did.
"Just give it a few hours okay? You'll see her again." He smiled, placing a hand on my shoulders.
I nodded walking out. I wandered the halls of the government building. After I'd crashed here on the brink of death two years ago, they took me in as an inter-dimensional prisoner. Rufus had pled my case after I told him about what I had gone through. I told him everything he needed to know about getting me home. I wanted to get home, I needed to. He said he could build me a machine that would take me back.
I hadn't seen her in so long. Rufus said that when I landed, something kept me alive. I clung to the hope of seeing her, and it has propelled my every waking thought for the past two years. I miss everything about her. The way her eyes sparkled like diamonds and the way she would lay down her life for her mission.
She was perfect. She was my life. She was my everything.
I lay down in my prison-sanctioned bed and waited. I had been waiting, hoping for so long. Sometimes I came so close to giving up and letting go. But then I thought about her. Where was she? Did she still think about me? Did she cry at night when she woke up and noticed I wasn't there?
I tried not to cry as I wondered about her now. Did she have a new boyfriend? Was she still alive? Did she still think about me?
I lay there for hours, having perfected the talent of not sleeping a long time ago until Rufus showed up.
"It's ready."
I looked down at my jumpsuit, hoping the Artemis wouldn't think I was a criminal. Grabbing his bag of things, I followed Rufus back to the main room.
"Now the core reactor is going to heat up really fast, so this needs to be quick." Rufus fiddled with the dials on the wall and I looked into the contraption. It was meant to look like a door, so I could just walk a few steps and be there. "This is a one way trip."
"I know." I said, looking ahead suddenly very worried.
"May you find peace there." Rufus smiled to me, grease still staining his face.
"Thank you Rufus." I smiled back to him, tears lining my eyes. "Make sure this machine goes down with me."
"Aye aye." He smiled, reminding me of Bart.
The circular machine lit up, spewing bits of color all around the room before the color lit into the core reactor on the side. I looked at it with worry, this was what I had been waiting for. Was I ready?
I took a breath and walked into the light.
I fell through the other side gasping for breath. I looked up to the sky, determined to find out if it worked. I stood up on shaky legs and walked to the nearest store. The newspapers out front told me it was late July.
It had only been a month, I was home. I felt like jumping for joy but I had no time. All of my energy was focused on finding Artemis. I needed to find her.
I ran to our old apartment as fast as I could. She wouldn't move out would she? No, no she wouldn't.
I sped to a stop out front, and noticed there was a light on. I ran and knocked on the door, nearly out of breath.
She didn't answer.
"Artemis! Open the door!" I yelled inside. She finally opened it a crack so a small sliver of light seeped out and I burst inside.
She looked at me with an expression of horrified shock. Her fist came at me in all directions as she started crying.
"Are you kidding!" She cried, "What is this? A sick joke? Get OUT!"
"Artemis, stop! It's me!" I grabbed her fists and started intently at her. She cried harder. I kissed her, holding her face tight with mine. She protested at first, but I think she realized it was me.
Her hands clung to my neck, opening my mouth to hers and I could taste her tears.
"Wally?" She muttered. "How is this possible?"
"It's a long story babe." She fell into my chest, crying with all her might. I held her as close as I could manage, soaking in her heat. We stayed there for a long time as I rocked her back and forth, telling her it would all be okay. I was home now.