I have no idea. What even is this? Some crazy thing I typed up last night. It's not that great, but please review!
Oh, and ANOTHER HIATUS! NOOOOOOOOOO!
Artemis was sitting on the couch, looking over notes for that Vietnamese test tomorrow. She knew she didn't need to, but it was always good to study. Wally was out getting a late-night snack, or his 'brain food' as he would like to call it.
What she wasn't expecting was the doorbell to ring. Wally would just barge in, and no one would visit her at that hour. But what was that her dad told her all those years ago?
Expect the unexpected.
And the person at her door was completely unexpected.
"…Jade?" She hesitantly addressed her sister illuminated by the porch light, "What are you-"
"No time," Jade brushed past her into the living room. Nelson finally got up from his spot and started yapping at the guest. Artemis quickly shushed him.
"It's nice to see you too," She said, plopping herself down next to her dog.
"I didn't come here for pleasantries," Her sister snapped, setting down a large backpack Artemis didn't notice before.
What she did notice was how frazzled Jade seemed. She was shaking, but she stroked the backpack lovingly.
"What's this about?" Artemis leaned forward.
"Artemis," Jade opened the backpack and took out a small baby. It was pale and had a small tuff of red hair on the top of its head, "meet your niece."
Talk about unexpected. A million thoughts ran through her head at that moment. The first was that she felt sorry for the man that did this to her sister.
Jade passed over the baby to Artemis, and she cradled it, "Oh Jade. She's beautiful."
"She looks just like you when you were a baby. Seriously. Ask Mom to get the pictures sometime."
"Mom…does she know?"
A slight hesitation, "No. I haven't told anyone but you. Not even her father knows."
Artemis felt surprised but humbled that she was the first to know. Curiosity nagged at her to ask about the father, but she suspected that it was a touchy subject.
Instead, she asked, "Does she have a name?"
Jade's eyes grew soft as she gazed at her child, "Lian."
"That's so pretty. If I didn't know better, I would've thought she was mine," Artemis joked lightly, passing the child back to her mother.
"Well good thing she's not. I think Wally's family would have a nuclear explosion if they thought she was yours."
Artemis blinked, but then laughed. Jade joined in for a while, but then died out for a comfortable silence.
"You know, Lian made me give up being Cheshire," Jade said out of the blue.
More unexpected news, "Really?"
"Yeah. I don't want her to be like us. I want her to have a good childhood and happy and not run away."
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop it, "Then she's gotta know her father."
"I know," Jade snapped, "I just don't know how to tell him."
"Jade, who is it?"
She took a deep breath, "Roy."
"Roy? You did it with Roy?"
"Don't act so surprised. I also married him."
"When?"
"A while ago. But I left him because he was so obsessed with trying to find the real Speedy," Jade caressed Lian's face, "I couldn't take it. Even more I couldn't have Lian grow up with that kind of father."
Artemis placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "You need to tell him. Maybe having a child will change him. After all, Lian changed you."
"But how will I do it?"
Her heart twisted. She'd never seen Jade so vulnerable. But what could she do? After all, she never dealt with children. Artemis was the baby of the Crock family, and never babysat.
"Just tell him," She offered lamely.
At that moment, Lian woke up. She blinked her gray eyes and yawned. Artemis had to admit that the baby looked a lot like herself and Jade. But, just Artemis looked like Sportsmaster, Lian was a carbon copy of Roy. She briefly wondered if Lian would grow up and become an archer. Maybe have a name along the lines of "Red Hood".
"Jade. You said it yourself: She needs a family. Give her something that we never had."
"You're right," Jade placed the Cheshire mask on her face, concealing it under the grinning cat.
"I thought you gave that life up!" Artemis cried.
Her sister shrugged, "I did. But if I'm going to get Roy to be a father, I have to find the real Speedy. That means pulling some serious strings."
In an impulse, Artemis reached out and hugged her, careful not to crush Lian between them, "Be careful, Jade. Don't leave Lian motherless."
"I would never." Jade stood up and placed Lian back in the backpack.
She followed her out the door, leaning against the frame.
Her sister stopped and turned, "Thanks Artemis. For everything."
"I didn't do much. But you're welcome."
"Oh, and another thing."
Artemis groaned. More unexpected news?
"Be prepared to be a babysitter," She could just imagine the smirk under the mask, "Lian needs to know her aunt and uncle."
"We're not married," She retorted.
"Whatever you say, sis," Jade mocked, then said, "See you later."
"Bye, Jade," Artemis called after the retreating figure, then shut the door after mother and daughter were far gone.
She just sat down again when Wally bust through the door, arms full of snacks.
"What did I miss?"