A/N: Shout outs to Feelin' the Aster and randomkitty101 for reviewing on my story^^

Feelin' the Aster: She has very slight feelings for him but doesn't like him that way. She actually has a disorder. Hints will be dropped in the coming chapters. Have a cookie (::)

Randomkitty101: She's not a superhero, but she does like him, very little. She has a disorder. It will be shown in later chapters. Here, have a cookie (::)

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice

Chapter 2

When Artemis came home after an overwhelming patrol with Nightwing, the house seemed deserted. She had been surprised when she bumped into Dick on patrol. He told her that Bludhaven was really quiet tonight and so asked her to run a sweep of Palo Alto with him. She had agreed at first, but eventually tired down as he was about ten times faster and stronger than her. What does a man in his mid-thirties have to do to stay that much in shape?

By the time she got back, Artemis was ready to drop. He had given her so much exercise in the last few hours that it felt like her arms and legs were about to fall off. How he could do that much overwhelming exercise and still not have a bead of sweat on his body was a mystery to her.

Why isn't anybody ever whelmed? Dick's voice flashed through her head. She smiled. Even after all this time, he still kept up with his childish word-playing. She figures it's because so much has changed, it's just his way of hanging onto the good times. She remembers the times when they were younger and didn't have to worry about anything, just about school and dating and how well they did on missions. The times were so simple, and nice. She would do anything to get back to those times.

She's snapped out of her small trance when she hears a frustrated groan from Jason's room. She scrambles to her feet and walks to the room. She sees Jason on his bed with a guitar over his lap. She figures that he must have been practicing while she was gone. He's trying to get a particular chord but judging by his scrunched up face, it wasn't as easy as it looked.

"Jason, honey?" she asks, making him look up suddenly.

"Oh, Mom, you're back." He gulps. She laughs.

"Okay, what's going on?" She walks over to him and sits down beside him.

"Well, today at school, Zaina showed me this really cool guitar technique, but it's not as easy as it looked."

Artemis nods. "Sounds like something she would do. Did you know that your Uncle Dick used to do things exactly like that? He'd come up with this really cool fighting technique which was ten times harder than it looked."

"Well, he was trained by the Bat." He softly says.

Artemis puts her hand on the hand that's draped over his guitar and takes the pick from his grasp. "I suggest you rest now. You have school in the morning and I don't want you to be late." "Okay, Mom." He smiles. She turns to get up when she spots him reach for his phone and check the messages. "Still no response." He murmurs. "What's that about?" she asks.

"I texted Zen over an hour ago, but she still hasn't replied. It's always been like this. I text her, but she never responds. And she's doing worse in school." Artemis registers this to ask Dick later.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll tell you soon enough."

Dick goes straight to his bedroom and collapses on the bed as he rips off his mask. Patrol had been strenuous that night, not because she pushed Artemis to her limits, but because he had got a call from Bruce asking him to come over to the Manor during the weekend. Bruce had known about Zaina ever since he was left with her, but there was always an awkward tension in the air between Dick and Bruce whenever they visited. He's sure that Bruce would never completely accept Zaina because of her mother, but he still cared for her. Along with the stress of patrol, he was wiped.

At that moment, Zaina walks in, a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. "Hey, Dad, you're here. I heard the door open and figured it was you." He feels pride swelling up in his throat at how much of a detective she would make. She'd make an amazing Nightwing, he thought, but he wanted her to make the decision for herself.

He sits up as she hands him the cup of hot chocolate. "You made some hot chocolate before you left and I didn't want to drink it all since you'd be tired after your patrol."

Dick smiles at him. "When did you become so good at reading other people?"

She shrugs. "Uncle Tim says that you used to be able to do it when you were thirteen." He nods and takes a sip of his chocolate. He runs a hand through his hair, feeling the pain of his headache hitting him. He lets out a low groan. Zaina notices it and gives him a sympathetic look. "Tough night, Dad?" He nods.

"Your grandfather called and invited us over for the weekend."

"That sounds like fun, right?" He knows that no matter how awkward it might be between him and Bruce, the young girl loved the entire family with all her heart. So, he simply hums in agreement and takes another sip.

At that precise moment, Zaina's phone dings to let her know that she had a message. She leans over and checks her phone. "It's Jason." She says. "He's been texting me for over an hour." "Did you reply?" Dick asks. His heart drops as she shakes her head. "It's only just a hunch that its him." She softly says. Dick pulls her against his chest as he kisses her head. He tries to say something, but he just can't find the words. So, he just holds her like that.

With them, actions speak louder than words.

The peacefulness of the school is disrupted when the bell shrilly rings. Students pile out of the classrooms to go to their lockers and get ready for their next class. The calm Palo Alto High School was now bursting with activity as it always did between classes. Out of the flood that came out of Math, a certain raven-haired teenager was followed by a complaining blond girl.

"What do you mean you didn't get it? That is like the easiest concepts in our grade!" the golden-haired girl says.

"For you maybe, but remember that I'm not as good as you." Zaina desperately says.

"Yet, you still manage to become the star pupil in Music." The other girl says. "Zen, you're smarter than this."

"Kim! I'm terrible in Math. Why can't you just accept that?" Zaina asks.

"Because I know my best friend." Kim says. "And partly because your grades might affect my social status."

Zaina rolls her eyes and enters the combination for her locker. Kim has been her best friend since she was in third grade. So, she's used to all her taunts till now. As she pulls out the books for her next class, she keeps thinking about what her father has repeatedly told her. She wasn't getting anywhere by keeping it a secret, but it was saving her from the humiliation. Her school was filled with a bunch of "Queen Bees" who would do anything against her since they hated her. The only reason was being the daughter of Dick Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne.

"Thinking about something?"

The voice snaps her out of her thoughts so suddenly that she almost drops her books. She looks and sees Jason standing there, leaning against the locker next to hers. He has a questioning look in his eyes. He's probably surprised that he was able to surprise her as she would always be able to hear him before he came up behind her. "Jason! You startled me."

He lets out a small laugh and scratches the back of his neck. "Wow, what you're thinking of must be huge because I have never been able to startle you before." She sheepishly nods. "It is, kinda."

"So, did you get my texts last night?" he asks. Oh no.

"Um…I think I did. I didn't check my phone last night." She can tell that he's not entirely bought it.

"Then did you check them this morning?" he asks again.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't answer your texts…" she begins when he cuts her off. "You've never answered my texts." It leaves her speechless for a moment. She avoids his gaze as she lets his words sink in. She then takes a deep breath. "Well, what did you want to talk about?" she asks.

"I was trying out that technique you showed me yesterday, but I wasn't really getting it. So, I was wondering if you could show me during free period."

"Sure, that sounds great." She says, glad for an excuse to avoid this awkward conversation. He wishes her and Kim good luck after checking his watch and hurrying off to his Biology.

Zaina heaves a huge breath and turns around to see Kim staring after Jason with a dreamy look in her eyes. She waves her hand in front of the blonds' face. "Kim?" Kim snaps out of whatever trance she was in after sighs. "I still can't believe you're friends with Jason West." She says. "He's like, one of the hottest guys in school. How can you not be into him?" The black haired girl rolls her eyes at Kim's ranting. It was true that all the girls in school swayed over her best friend. It was awkward at times, but she got used to it within no time. And out of all the girls, Kim had the biggest crush on the blond teenager.

"He may be good-looking, but Jason's been like the brother I never had." She tells the blond. "Now, we'd better get to class."

A/N: Well, that's chapter 2. Hope you guys like it.

Hope fully now it might be a bit easier to guess Zaina's disability. And, do you guys want to see some Jason/Zaina romance or a brother-sister relationship? Or even Traught?

Please review.