Not that there are a lot of you reading this, well any to be honest, I just wanted to apologize for the short chapter and the long waiting time between this and the first chapter! Final exams are a serious bitch and so many more excuses! This writing is therapeutic for me, so I promise to write as much as humanly possible, for whatever it's worth.

Thanks,

Mazie

July 27, 16:05 CDT

"Are you sure about this?" Dick asked.

"Yeah, pretty sure." Artemis replied, a bit annoyed. It had been 20 minutes since Dick had gotten to her house, and 40 minutes since she had announced to him that she was pregnant with her dead boyfriend's spawn."Are you going to go see a doctor; to, you know, confirm it?" Dick asked again.

"I don't really see the point, I took every single test in a 3 block radius. All positive." Artemis retorted.

"Still Arty, you need to be certain that everything's okay," Dick pleaded, his voice softer now. Artemis saw the look of hope on his face, the thought that he could redeem himself to his best friend, that he could protect those that Wally loved.

"Fine." Artemis yielded. It was curious to her that Dick was more protective of Wally's maybe baby than she was, it scared her too.

July 27, 16:45 CDT

"Artemis Crick?" The nurse chided, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"It's Crock." Artemis growled as she and Dick walked towards the door. Overenthusiasm had always nauseated her. Artemis and Dick sat down in two very stiff, very uncomfortable chairs that sat in the corner of a small exam room.

"Doctor'll be in, in a moment!" Nurse happypants cheered.

A few minutes later the doctor entered,

"Hello, I'm Doctor Shore, it's nice to meet you," the woman held out her hand towards Artemis. "Now that we've confirmed your pregnancy, we need some more-" she cut off, noticing the Dick Grayson in her exam room.

"Excuse me, but are you Dick Grayson?" she asked. Dick nodded, a bit irritated. "Anyway, as I was saying, we're going to need a little more information." She continued, now facing Dick. She pulled out Artemis' chart and began scribbling away- "Name?"

"Artemis Crock," Artemis responded, perturbed that the biggest news of her life seemed irrelevant to the doctor.

"Blood Type?"

"AB-,"

"Father of the baby?" Doctor Shore asked, side-eyeing Dick with ferocious intentsity.

"dead"

"Hmm?" The doctor replied, "I don't understand, than why is he here?"

"Hold on a minute, that is innapropriate and way out of line! I'-" Dick started, but Artemis cut him off,

"He's a close family friend. The name of the father is Wallace West. Any more questions?"

"No." The doctor replied in a conceited tone, "You're free to go."

Dick ushered Artemis out of the clinic with a fire. He sat Artemis down in his car, and drove her straight to his appartment, without saying a word. Oblivious to the silet tears streaming down Artemis' face.

When they at the appartment, they were met with a flash of lights and a sea of papparazzi.

"Is it true your Bruce Wayne's mistress?" one asked.

"Any comment on the rumor that Zatanna Zatara murdered your boyfriend?" another spat. Dick subsequently elbowed him in the face, and shoved their way through the remaining paparazzos. By the time they reached Dick's door, Artemis was completely sobbing. Dick picked her up, and brought her inside. Artemis felt herself being set down on a bed, so she curled up into a ball and fell asleep.

July 27, 18:12 CDT

"Babe, what the hell is going on?" Zatanna exclaimed, as soon as she entered the door

"I promised him I'd protect her, and I, I failed him again!" Dick cried, tears forming in his eyes. Zatanna made her way over to him and embraced him fully, where he bagan to weep freely.

"Tell me what happened." Zatanna replied, in a soothing tone, as she held the broken hero.

July 28, 8:42 CDT

Artemis awoke to the smell of coffee, leaving a bitter taste in her throat. She pulled up her aching body and ran to the bathroom adjacent to her, barely making it before vomiting up the contents of her stomach. The sound of approaching footsteps told her that someone was coming, and her nose told her that someone had coffee.

"Zatanna, I will puke on you if bring coffee near me!" Artemis shouted.

"How did you know it was me?" Zatanna asked.

"Dick's step is lighter!" Artemis chuckled lightly.

"Did you just call me fat?" Zatanna asked sarcastically, and they both laughed. Artemis hugged the toilet and retched again. When she looked up Zatanna could see tears in her eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Zatanna asked, concerned.

"It's just-" She took a deep breath, "I don't want to be the grieving girlfriend, I need to be strong, but I, I- can't do this without Wally!" She put her head in her hands.

"Ok, first of all, you will never- ever be alone in this, we will always be here for you." said Zatanna, sitting down next to Artemis on the bathroom tile, "And second, you are ever going to be without Wally, because he is in your heart, your memory, and in that little life inside of you." She concluded; wiping the tears from her friend's pale face.

"Thank you, Z." Artemis replied softly, before shifting onto her knees. "If Wally we here right now, I would kick him the groin for sticking me with these fucking hormones."

"Honey, this is just the beginning!" Zatanna smirked.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Artemis exclaimed.

"You want something to eat?" Zatanna asked.

"You've got no idea!"