Thank you guys so much for all the support! Really wasn't expecting something so great! Now, this chapter here has been mostly typed on my iPod. So apologies for any mistakes.

Also I don't own YJ. Obviously not proof read, but hey, I was sick typing this! xD


Wally had collapsed on his bedroom floor, and he didn't bother moving from it. His head throbbed with every beat of his heart. He was curled in on himself, trying to even out his quick breaths. His ribs were screaming and his arm wasn't much better.

He looked up slowly, his vision swimming. His eyes narrowed, trying to figure out the numbers the green digits were making. But currently, they were only making strange hypnotic patterns. Finally, the numbers swam together, linking up with the other green lines. The two small dots came into focus, and on the number on the left soon was clear. It formed a 9.

And that's when Wally's eyes shot open in horror. The other digits came into focus, and the digits read out 9:56. Oh hell. Wally was supposed to be at the Cave for a mission briefing at 10- which they were all supposed to attend. He groaned, almost shooting up. But his ribs had protested majorly against that, and so he was reduced to slowly getting up, trying to even out his breaths as his heart began to speed up with worry. Oh, he was so in for it.

'Not like Batman could kill me any more, so I suppose a few more minutes won't matter...' He thought, reaching out for the dresser, ignoring his screaming arm. He pulled himself up slowly, then looked down once he was standing. The floor was swimming, and Wally bit his lip as he realized that he would have to change from his sweatpants and tank. He gave a glance to the dresser, then pulled out some jeans, a yellow top and a red jacket.

How he managed to get them on without collapsing from pain became the question of the day. He laced up his shoes quickly, and slowly the mask pieced itself back together. The smile was up, and he deeply exhaled as he took a step. Alright, just a few more hundred steps to go and he could make it to the Zeta. He managed to get out into the hallway, leaning slightly against the wall. He took more steps and walked into the kitchen, noticing his parents (well, his mum) had left an orange note this time on the fridge.

'Wally,
The Daniels called. They need help renovating.
Won't be home until late,
Have fun at the Cave
Mom x'

He took the note, marking it with a bolt. He did this to show that he had read the note and understood. He briefly remembered the Daniels were quite some distance away, so he smiled slightly. Finally, his luck might be beginning.
He took a glance in the mirror, then frowned.

Right, he had forgotten to mask up the bruises. Rolling his eyes at his stupidity, he quickly found the concealer in his other pants pocket, quickly putting it on. The rings under his eyes were still slightly visible, but he could easily cover those up with a few excuses like homework. His left arm hurt like hell, but he focused on other things. Like getting the previous nights memories out his head. He walked inside to the cafe, going to the Zeta. He gasped slightly as the pain seemed to jumble over his body, but it seemed to settle back down to his ribs and arm once he took a step. Batman narrowed his eyes, and Wally shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his right arm. Everyone was looking at him questioningly, but he couldn't think of an excuse. He just took his place next to Artemis on the end of the assembled team.

He took a glance at his phone, cursing that he was almost half an hour late. "Where were you?" Artemis mumbled to him once Batman had finished and the Team had walked off. Wally wasn't paying attention, rather trying to adjust his standing position into something much more comfortable as his ribs still seemed to be on fire. She nudged him, and Wally's eyes widened, quickly biting his lip to stop from wincing.

Damn it, what was with everyone suddenly aggravating his ribs when they were this sore? Especially the Gotham kids? He glanced at Artemis sheepishly, who was studying him. He found himself shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. "I slept in. Couldn't sleep last night until late," He let the lie slip past his lips, and Artemis sighed. "Well, I wasn't holding you, beautiful! I was lonely," He grinned, knowing it was cheesy. Artemis let the laugh show clearly in her eyes, stepping closer to him. "You need to stop being to cheesy," She muttered, smiling.
"And you need to stop being so perfect," He laughed, ignoring the pain it brought him. Because it was a real laugh, and he wasn't going to let his father ruin that. She laughed, pushing him slightly as she stepped back.

Oh, and the ribs! Damn it, does he just have some 'Please annoy ribs!' sign somewhere? And that's when Artemis frowned. "You're injured." She stated, narrowing her eyes. Oh crap. Totally did not need the girlfriend onto him. "Babe, the bats just hit a little too hard. It'll heal up by tomorrow afternoon." That was true... Well it would be, if his father just stopped kicking him there. She huffed slightly, "Sometimes, you're impossible," She shook her head, stepping closer once again.

"Yeesh, get a room!" The little ninja had appeared out of nowhere, arms folded. Artemis just smiled slightly, letting her arms wrap around Wally again. Well, maybe it wasn't so bad that she was on him. "Well... We were in a room without anyone else until you showed up!" Wally threw his arms up in exaggeration, but they quickly came back down to wrap around Artemis. For now, the pain was subsiding. Maybe the warm feeling inside of him when he saw Artemis was doing that. Robin's eyes were clearly rolling behind the sunglasses. "Suit up for the mission in an hour. Fill the details you missed out on in the bio-ship." Robin walked out after that, hands in pockets. Wally just shook his head, "Damn ninja's," He mumbled. Artemis stepped back, hands back on her hips as Wally's stomach grumbled.

"Uh... I forgot about breakfast?" He grinned, walking to the kitchen. Artemis rolled her eyes, "Why do I doubt that a speedster could forgot about breakfast?" She poked him slightly, knowing that Wally never missed a meal (but she obviously didn't know about dinner.) "Well, you know, when you know Batman is probably going to have your head for sleeping in, you sort of forgot everything important." That was probably the only truth he had told that day. He opened the fridge, scanning the contents. For once, nothing appealed. He frowned, trying to convince himself that left over cookies were good at any time of the day, but he knew if he'd try to eat it he'd probably throw up or something. He huffed, knowing he'd need his energy. He clutched his ribs with his right arm, squatting down to open the bottom trays. He chose an apple, seeing that his body seemed a little more at peace with the fruit.

"What, no cookies or cake?" Artemis asked, coming up beside him and taking a cookie. He smiled, "Hey, gotta eat healthy, right?" He fired back, but as expected, Artemis returned the fire. "Healthy? I didn't even know you knew the meaning of that," She rolled her eyes, biting the cookie. He looked up at the time, finishing the apple.

"Wally," Artemis's voice was hesitant. Cautious. He looked back down to Artemis, "Yeah beautiful?"

"I... I was thinking... Well, maybe tonight you could meet my mum?" And for once, the speedster was speechless.


Wally was in the bio-ship, barely hearing the facts Robin was going over. The only things going through his head were:

'I'm going to meet an ex-villain. Huntress! Artemis's mother! What if she's a mean old witch? Or extremely nice? What if she doesn't like me? ... Pull it together Wall-Man! Of course she'll like you! Just keep it together! And it means you'll probably get out of seeing dad! He may not be happy... But let's be honest with myself here, I'd rather meet Paula than dad.' With his thoughts racing, he barely took in information that Robin was supplying. All he knew was that there was a disturbance in a forest of who-knows-where and a guy called who-knows-what. Not literally named that, of course, but Wally hadn't exactly absorbed that much information. Artemis was glancing at him from time to time, and he was trying to keep his calm. He just really hoped this guy was not a good combat fighter or something. No need to get more banged up before he met the mother of his girlfriend. He had thankfully taken the painkillers, and he was feeling slightly better.

"All we need to do is investigate is where he is hiding out. It has been confirmed in the forest... but there has not been any specific location determined. So we're going to find the location. M'gann, link us up." Kaldur ordered as the bio-ship landed in a clearing of the forest. Every one on the ship felt the familiar reassurance of the link open up. Wally shut off his thoughts immediately of the nights before.

"I believe we should pair off to be safe." Kaldur's voice came through.
"So... Who we kissed on New Years?" Wally asked innocently.
"Wally!" The chorus echoed through the team, and Wally shrugged. "Hey! It works!" He said it aloud, getting a few looks.
"Well... He is right. It does work," Zatanna chorused in, not exactly minding she'd get to go with Robin. The others ended up agreeing, and soon they were in Stealth mode and scouring the different sections of the forest. Wally and Artemis headed west.

"Anybody found anything yet?" Conner sounded bored. Not surprising any of the Team members. He was replied to with an onslaught of No's.

Then Wally frowned, squinting slightly. "Hey, look there," He whispered to Artemis, pulling on her arm to get her to stop. He gestured to the stream with his head. "There's footprints in the muddy section. Not too long ago either," He kept his voice down, and Artemis studied the area. "Think he's close?" She whispered, and Wally nodded.

"Think we've got something near a stream. Recent footprints. Wearing wellies. Really not much else to say." Wally's thoughts went through to the Team and he took a step closer.

"Follow them. See if you can find something, but do not approach that camp alone if you are able to locate it. Everyone, off to the western section." Everyone gave affirmatives, but Wally refrained. "Technically, we're not alone if we have each other." He stepped down cautiously, looking at the footprints.

"Kid Flash, this is really no time for pick-up lines," Artemis muttered, following him. "Not kidding. Come on, just a peak at the camp?" He pleaded, not wanting to wait up for the team. Because it was dumb luck they had ended up in this section after Wally almost ended up falling off a ledge. They went down and explored the ledge which had seemed invisible before. They ended up near the stream. Artemis shook her head, "We have our orders." But even her voice was a little doubtful.

Wally just sighed, stepping through the stream to reach the other side. He turned to make sure Artemis made it okay, and he followed the footsteps. "It could be just some guy that visits or something," Artemis said, Wally turning to her slightly, "Well, knowing our luck, probably not," He grinned slightly, looking around for any signs of a camp.

That's when he heard it. "Guys, you may want to hurry up," Wally thought, whirling to see a man standing there. Artemis followed example, and her bow was instantly prepared with an arrow. Wally tensed, crouching slightly.

"So... What's up doc?" Wally asked casually, trying to brush off his wariness. He didn't even pay attention to the guys name, and now he was stuck with the guy in a possible battle.

An hour later, the Team sat in the bio ship, silent as they got their breath back. Wally had been running on empty, and not to mention the guy had managed to land a throw on his sore arm. It had resulted in a major fall, Wally barely managing to get up without blacking out.

Artemis leaned closer to him, "Your parents okay with tonight?" She mumbled, knowing that there was only one other person that could hear them with his superhearing. He nodded, "Totally. They're out late anyway," He answered it truthfully.

'Oh look Wally! Two truths in a day! A record!'

Stupid head voices. She nodded, "And you're totally cool with it?" She asked, a little wary.

"Course babe! Why wouldn't I be? The only thing I need to worry about is finding something good to wear," That was a half truth. He'd need to worry about how his father would react to this encounter. But he pushed that aside. She laughed quietly, "Dress casually. She won't care for anything but you're attitude." She admitted, Wally nodding. "You sure?" He wanted to confirm, just in case Artemis was playing with him. "Positive. Meet at the cave at 5."

And so that's what they did. Wally was dressed in his usual attire of red and yellow tops, jeans and sneakers. He had brought a bouquet of roses, really wanting to make an impression. A good one.

Wally kissed her in greeting, nervously handing her the flowers. Her face lit up, and instantly she was hugging him. "Oh, she'll love you." She whispered in his ear. It calmed some of his nerves, at least. Alright, he had done one thing right then. "Come on, Wall-Man, it's time you met my mum," She took his hand and lead him to the Zeta.

Wally was used to Gotham. It was, in other words, his second city. He chilled here a lot with Dick, and he was quite familiar with it. What he wasn't used to was the fact Artemis lived here. Sure, she had told him about a couple of weeks ago, but she was constantly patrolling in Star City in her free time.

"Welcome to Gotham. Take it you've been here before?" She turned to face him and he nodded, "Plenty of times. I mean, with Rob and all." She nodded, expecting the answer. "I swear, if that mini bats comes out of nowhere," it was mostly mumbled to himself.

He made sure Artemis held his right hand, letting his left slightly elevate. She lead him around, coming up to the apartment. "So, you ready?"

"Of course, who isn't ready for the Wall-Man. after all?" She elbowed him, rolling her eyes and she lead him up to their floor.

She knocked on the door, then opened it with the key from her back pocket.

They were greeted by a smiling Paula Crock, hands on her lap in a wheelchair.

"Mom, this is Wally, Kid Flash. He's my... Uh... Boyfriend," She stepped into the house, gesturing to Wally. Paula's face instantly brightened and she held out a hand which Wally took. "Artemis tells me so much about you. Please, sit down." Paula wheeled her way to the living room, and Wally found himself being instantly comforted by the place. It felt safe and warm. Something his house was beginning to lack. He sat down on the couch next to Artemis.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you. Artemis tells me so many stories, and I'm glad she does. You should hear some of the things she sa-"

"Mum!" Artemis quickly butted in, her cheeks feeling rather warm. If she had continued, who knew when Wally would shut up about it. Wally smiled, "Well, I must admit, I'm probably saying those kinds of things too."

Artemis was entirely glad he didn't say something like 'Well who could resist saying that about Kid Flash!'

Not a great impression, to say the least.

As it was, Artemis walked Wally back to the Zeta.

"Your mum is incredible. Seriously," Wally exclaimed, beaming that they had gotten along so well. He was beginning to wonder if Artemis was getting a little jealous on the sidelines. "I'm just glad you managed to have half a brain, otherwise you'd be used for target practice. And it won't be me firing the arrows, it'll be mum," She teased, pushing him slightly. Wally scoffing. "You know no one can resist the charm of Kid Flash, babe," He grinned, then looked at the Zeta. Artemis then blinked, noticing how the corners of his mouth fell slightly. "What? Don't want to leave me?" She asked, and Wally turned to the Zeta.

"Never, beautiful," Wally replied honestly, going for a quick kiss. She allowed it before opening the telephone box and shoving him inside. "Debriefing at 8!" She shouted, and swore she could hear a groan. Once he had been Zeta'd, she returned home.

She was greeted by her mum, "I'm glad you have him, Artemis." She said, wheeling over to her daughter. "I'm glad too," Artemis admitted. "Alright, gotta be back at the Cave in the morning." She yawed, feeling drained. The fight had taken a fair bit of energy.

"Artemis?" Paula ventured, and Artemis turned, frowning at the cautious tone her mum was using.

"Do you know about his family?" Paula asked, and Artemis nodded. "Lives with his mum and dad in Central. Surprisingly, Flash isn't his father." Artemis had to admit, she always thought that Flash was his father. They definitely had the relationship going to fool anyone.

"Well, it's just that... I noticed something," Paula inquired, not really sure if she really wanted to tell her daughter or not about her suspicions.

"What is it, mum? He's a great boyfriend, really, might seem a little... It... But he's amazing and even brought me flowers," Artemis quickly rushed out. Oh no, she was not having that 'Mother hates daughter's boyfriend' thing happening.

Paula shook her head, the next sentence coming out hesitantly.

"I think he might be getting... Abused."


Yay for Paula!

Well aware it's very dragged out, and honestly I have no idea what I'm typing, but as you can probably see, this is definitely a Spitfire story. Obviously there'll be bromance. And more abuse. Paula Crock sounds like a lovely mother in law though ;)

Oh, and of course there's going to be more abuse. This story kind of just feels like a collage of my random ideas, so beware for random stuff.

Anyway, reviews are very much loved x

Kayla :)