I stumbled into the house.

It had been a long week, first the North Pole and then...

My heart squeezed and my stomach dropped. How could it have gone so wrong?

I stepped forward and fell, my legs shaking uncontrollably.

Brutus, mine and...

My eyes tightened, tears spilling over the edge as the big pit bull nuzzled me affectionately.

I tossed my long blonde hair over my face and stood up, forcing myself to climb up on the couch and crawl into his sweatshirt.

Red, just like Barry's suit, like half of his own outfit. I breathed in the scents, familiar, comforting and warm.

There was the scent of chocolate cake, the last dessert he had scarfed before we were deployed to Paris.

The rich cologne that he wore because it was "manly" and would make me fall for him "irresistibly".

Lastly the scent that we all carried, the soft and yet dangerous smell of adventure and heroics.

I sobbed into the jacket, longing for the nightmare to be over, to look up and see him come in.

I would do anything to see his goofy smile and sparkling green eyes, to feel him whip me up in his eyes in a second and to wrap my arms around his solid frame.

I shook, cried and felt empty as a hole, knowing that I would never see him again.

I resigned myself to sleep on the couch. I couldn't go back to that room, our room. Wrapped up in his jacket had torn me apart already, I couldn't bear to sleep on a bed made for two.

I shoved the pillows against the arm of the couch and caught the shine of a small black box.

I picked it up with shaking hands and picked apart nails.

It was a small black velvet box, hidden behind two pillows and tucked under the couch. I snapped it open with ease and felt my eyes warm with fresh tears. My nose grew prickly as I blinked furiously, shocked at the sight.

It was small, inexpensive but elegant.

Two thin intertwined gold bands wrapped around each other and came together, opening like a flower. In what would have been the center was a small diamond, shaped and cut with a single point, reminiscing an arrow head. It sparkled clear and white, framed with small green emeralds, the size of a pen point, six in total, three on each side.

The ring was full of unspeakable beauty, speaking so much with so little fanfare, nestled softly in black velvet, waiting to be placed on my finger.

I blinked quickly, unable to look away. I went to touch the cold gem, to hold it, to know it was real. I stopped, my heart beating out of control, not processing what was there. I withdrew my hand, my eyes locked on the shine and simplicity.

"Oh Artemis," Dick whispered, coming in from the door just as I hugged the small box to my chest crying his name.

"Wally, yes Wally,"