Title: Scary Doesn't Even Begin to Cover It
Word Count: 1,774
Characters: Wally/Artemis, Spitfire baby!
Summary: Artemis was never one to admit her fears, but this fear was just getting too big to hide.
Author's Note: So, yeah, had some Spitfire feels I just had to get out of the way. Um, basically a story about Wally and Artemis during the last few weeks of her first pregnancy and she admits to her fear about being a mother. Sorry about the crappy summary, this is basically a Romance/Family/Hurt-Comfort fic.
Oh- yes- and on a side note, if anyone has any prompts they want me to do, just message me, 'kay? Great. Enjoy. :)
She really hated this. She couldn't move, she couldn't fight, they wouldn't even let her in the Cave or the Watchtower because the "environment was too stressful." Hell, as if she could even get there, she could barely get out of her own goddamn bed. She just laid there on their bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Artemis had never felt so pathetic.
How much longer did she have to deal with this torture? Okay, maybe it wasn't torture, maybe it was kind of fantastic but she hated not being able to move or do anything. Artemis was never one to just sit around and do nothing. Sure, on rainy days she would love to snuggle up with a good book and put her Coldplay playlist on repeat, but afterwards she would always go kick some butt.
But today, even with "Clocks"- her favorite song- playing quietly in the background, Artemis couldn't help but be restless. A few more weeks they kept telling her, but she didn't care anymore, she just wanted to get out of bed!
A soft knock came from the door, she said come in.
"Hey, beautiful." said Wally as he walked into the room. He sat down on the bed next to her and bushed the hair out of her face. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"
"Wally, I'm pregnant not helpless." she stated. Her doctor had order her to stay bedridden til she gave birth, which, if Artemis' math was correct, would be any week now.
"I know..." he said, his hand traveled down her face, down her arm, and then to her swollen belly. He rubbed her belly softly before placing butterfly kiss all over it, tickling Artemis.
"Wally!" she laughed. "Stop that! You know I'm ticklish there!"
Wally looked up at her and grinned wickedly. "Oh, I know babe."
"Wally, come on, just come lay down with me." she pouted. "Please?"
"Of course."
Wally carefully climbed over her legs and laid down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and with his free hand he started drawing random designs on her stomach while she rubbed circles on the other side of her stomach.
"I know this is hard for you." said Wally as he kissed her hair line. "But soon it will all be worth it."
"Says you." smirked Artemis. "You're not the one who had to carry this thing around for 8 months."
"Hey! This thing is our child!"
"Right, I forgot: it's all your fault that I'm laying on my ass like a fat lard." said Artemis, slapping Wally's hand away.
"Let me remind you that this is also your fault when you let me put that ring on your finger and agreed to marry me." said Wally.
"Yeah, yeah, I signed up for life with one speedster not two." said Artemis. "There is no way in hell that this kid isn't-" Artemis' sentence was cut off by the baby delivering a sharp kick. Artemis swore loudly.
"Is it the baby? Are they kicking? Is it coming?" the complete fear in his voice as he said the last part did not go unnoticed.
Artemis could only laugh when the pain went away. "No, Baywatch, the baby just kicked too hard. It's the speedster genes I'm guessing. Didn't Iris say she had the same problem with the twins?"
"How should I know?" asked Wally. "Isn't it your job to know all the baby facts about our family."
(She would never admit to him how much she loves hearing him say things are theirs, like "our family" or "our house" and now "our child.")
"No, I was with Kaldur then! I wasn't even around until after Iris gave birth." said Artemis. "Really, Wall-man, sometimes you are dense."
"I don't even know what you're asking me!" he whined. Classic Wally, she thought.
"Did Iris ever complain about the babies kicking extra hard?"
"Um... yeah, probably, but mostly she complained about how fat she was and that Uncle Barry could go die in a hole or something because he could eat whatever he wanted and he still had his perfect figure... something like that, yeah."
Artemis rolled her eyes, it was so like Wally to forget the important details. Well, she thought, at least he remembered Valentine's Day again, it was a step in the right direction.
Wally and Artemis sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. They only had a few more weeks of it being just them, soon, they would never get a moment like this. Wally turned to his side and buried his face in her neck, kissing her skin softly. Mumbling something like I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's my fault, everything's always my fault anyways.
Artemis pushed him back so she could look him in the eye. "What are you talking about?"
"It's my fault that you're like this. It's my fault you're unhappy. I was the one who wanted kids, I wanted to start a family." said Wally, his green his were pouring into her stormy grays.
Artemis brought a hand up to cup his face, "Wally... don't talk like that..." she whispered lovingly. "It may have been your idea to start making a family now, but I was the one who agreed to it. I want this baby as much as you do. I love you and I love our child so don't even talk like that."
"Like what?"
"Like this was a mistake!" snapped Artemis, she tried to sit up but she couldn't, this whole bed-rest thing was a real pain in the ass. "UGH! If I could move right now I swear I would storm right out of her!"
"Calm down, beautiful." said Wally, sitting up again. "This is just the hormones talking; you know I don't think our baby is a mistake! I just- I hate seeing you so depressed like this- I mean, you have all this free time but when was the last time you called Zatanna? Or Raquel? And don't lie to me and say the other day, because they called me to ask how you were doing just now. They said they haven't heard from you in weeks. Babe, why can't you just tell me how you feel?"
Artemis looked away from him, he knew just as much as she that she hated to be open like that. She didn't want to tell him how she didn't feel beautiful enough for him anymore or how she felt like she was disgusting to him now because all she did was eat. She didn't want to tell him that or any of the things she felt. She didn't want to tell him about her fears of being a mother; she grew up pretty much without one, she didn't want her- their child to have the same fate. And what about the hero business? She couldn't quit that, no not after she had just gotten back into it. No, she couldn't admit any of this to Wally, he- he just wouldn't understand.
"Artemis?" he asked, he placed his finger under her chin and brought her attention back to him. "Please?"
Artemis nodded, "I- I feel like- I just- I don't feel like myself Wally."
"I know it's hard for you not to be able to do what you usually do and I know how much you hate just being stuck here- but, don't you think it will all be worth it?" asked Wally, his hand moved to her stomach again. "When we get to hold our child in our arms for the first time and then all the firsts that follow?"
"What do you mean, Wally?"
"I mean, their first steps, their first words, when they go to preschool- kindergarten! Believe me, babe, if I could do this for you I would." said Wally. "But since that's impossible you got to let me in so I can help you."
Artemis smiled, maybe it was a good thing she married such a cheese-ball.
"Okay, okay you win." said Artemis. "The truth is I'm just scared for the next step."
"As in when the baby comes?"
"Yeah, my mom and dad were never around, I didn't grow up with a happy family like you did. I don't know the first thing about a happy home." admitted Artemis. "What if I'm not a good mom, Wally? What if I can't give our kid the life it deserves. Wally... I'm scared."
The last part was so quiet, Wally was surprised that he even heard it. The whole thing was a shock, he knew that Artemis was a little insecure about all things that had to do with family, but this? He had never heard Artemis admit anything like this. Artemis was tough and strong, she was never weak like this or scared? No that wasn't Artemis' personality at all.
"You'll be a great mom, Arty, I know for a fact. And yes, we'll probably mess up a lot but hey isn't that parenting?" said Wally. "Don't worry, I know that everything will work out and we'll be one big happy family."
Artemis smiled and put her hand over his on her stomach. "You're such a sap, Wall-man."
Two weeks later, Artemis was awoken by wetness all around her and twelve hours and thirteen minutes later after pushing and screaming and hand-crushing and more screaming (especially at Wally, well, it was mostly blaming though...), Wally and Artemis were given the best gift they could ever ask for.
"Would you like to hold your daughter, Mrs. West?" asked her doctor.
Artemis nodded, her eyes watering. "Yes."
One of the nurses brought over a small bundle wrapped up in a little pink blanket. When she placed the bundle in Artemis' arms, everything seemed to click. She really felt like a mother. Their daughter was beautiful, she had soft curls of what was unmistakable Wally's color. Her eyes were closed but her little button nose reminded Artemis of Lian's, it must have been a Crock family trait she decided. Her daughter's cheeks were chubby and rosy, Artemis found it harder and harder to hold back the tears. Artemis couldn't help but get overwhelmed, her- their daughter was perfect.
"She's beautiful." said Wally, he wrapped his arm around Artemis' shoulders and put his forehead against her temple. "And she's ours, I'm so proud of you."
Artemis smiled as she felt Wally's warm tears run down his face onto hers.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. West." said their doctor before leaving the family in peace.
"You did great, Mrs. West." said Wally, stroking their daughter's hair.
Artemis kissed their daughter's head. Yeah, maybe motherhood wouldn't be all the scary after all.
Why hello, sorry that this is so crappy, I just had to get it out of my system. And then the title and summary suck too... meh... why did I post this?
Oh well, um... yeah, on another note, next chapter of Hotshot should be up today, that's what I'm going for at least.
But, Review? Please?