Robin~~~Wally~~~Kaldur~~~Conner~~~~M'gann~~~Artemis

As the team walked to the kitchen M'gann took Conner by the hand and said to the rest of the team. "Is it okay if Conner and I meet you again when we continue the session?" Now that Conner had confessed to her in front of the team, they didn't need to hide anything anymore. And M'gann was going to make full use of that.

Robin waited for Kaldur to respond, but since the team leader seemed to hesitate he took the decision for him. "Sure, we'll meet you two here in half an hour." He said with a big smile, happy for the couple.

"Yeah you two have fun!" Wally exclaimed, just like his best friend he too was happy for the couple. A tiny bit jealous surely, but mostly happy. With an evil grin he added. "Just remember to be save."

Neither the extraterrestrials really understood what Wally was trying to say. Regardless the ever cheerful M'gann replied. "Thanks Wally, snacks are in the fridge."

"Great, thanks!" Wally exclaimed as he raced to the kitchen.

Kaldur put his hand on Robin's shoulder as he and Artemis set of to follow Wally. "I wish to speek to you." He eyed Artemis and added. "Preferably without other members of the team present."

Artemis shot him a questioning look, then she shrugged and headed of to join Wally in the kitchen.

Conner~~~M'gann

"So why did you want to separate from the rest" Conner asked as they entered M'gann's room, honestly not knowing why.

M'gann took both Conner's hands, pressed herself against him, looked up to his eyes, and blushed. She knew fully well what feelings she stirred in the boy by doing so, even though Conner himself didn't understand them. "I wanted to thank you for what you said during the session. It made me really happy."

Conner didn't really know how to respond to this, his social skills were still developing. All he knew was that it felt to have M'gann pressed against his body like this, and that he liked making her happy. So he took a shot. He freed his hands from M'gann, put them around her waist and gave her a peck on the forhead something he had seen on tv. M'gann blush intensified, and Conner couldn't help but be pleased with himself. "You know I never actually said it."

It took a few seconds for Conner's remark to reach M'gann. She was so comfortable that her brain had lost complete track of the conversation. "You have never actually said what?"

Conner gave M'gann another peck on the forehead. "That I love you." M'gann couldn't help to squeal, a noise Conner did't recognized. "I'm sorry did I hurt you?" He asked worriedly.

M'gann laughed, put her hands on Conner's back, and let her head rest against his chest. "No you made me really happy again."

This would have made Conner feel even more satisfied with himself, but M'gann's hair had brought his mind to a near standstill. God how good it smelled. With his sense of smell he could always pick up it's scent, but somehow it smelled much better when it was close to him like this.

For a moment they just stood there, just enjoying being like this. Then M'gann broke the silence. "Are you worried? About the sessions I mean."

"I'm not worried but…"

"But what?" M'gann asked as she tilled her head so that she could look him in the eyes.

Again Conner took a deep breath, then he replied. "I've something I think I need to share in the sessions, but I don't want to."

"Well do you want to share it with me?"

Conner was silent for a moment, not being sure about what he wanted. Without realizing he had chosen so, he started to speak. "During the simulation I had several feelings, feelings I shouldn't have, not while people I care about are dying around me."

She saw pain and shame in his eyes, a need for forgiveness as well. She wanted him to tell her about those feelings, so she could tell him it was okay, but in a way that would be selfish. If Conner expressed those feelings, then he had to express them again during the sessions, going to the same pain twice. The right thing to do was to support him, give him the courage to speak up during the sessions. "Conner you are a good person, and whatever feelings you had during the sessions, you were still acting like a hero. I'm sure the team will forgive you for any feeling you had, I will forgive you." With a smile she added. "And I'll be there for you when you share it with the team."

To this Conner softly lifted M'ganns chin with his tumb, and gently kissed her lips. M'ganns heartbeat raced up, she was happy, but nervous as well. After the kiss she shied away from Conner's gaze, and let her head rest on his chest again.

For a moment they were silent again, then Conner asked. "And you, are you worried about the sessions."

M'gann didn't reply for a moment, not because she didn't know how to reply, but because she didn't really want to. She eventually forced herself to speak. "Yes I'm, the whole thing was my fault. Facing the team during the session constantly reminds me of that."

Conner didn't know how to reply. From what he understood the whole fiasco was caused by M'gann. Telling her it wasn't her fault seemed an empty lie to him. "But I don't blame you for it." He thought out loud. M'gann looked up in his eyes again, and he added. "And I'm sure no one on the team does."

M'gann thought this wasn't true, she blamed herself for it, and thus at least one member of the team did. She was uncomfortable pointing this out to Conner though.

She didn't really need to point it out anyway, for Conner said. "And even if someone does, then remember I'll be there for you too." All M'gann could do to reply was kiss him.

Robin~~~Kaldur

Robin was glad Kaldur had called him out. He had wanted to speak to Kaldur ever sinse the simulation, but it wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to. He took a deep breath to prepare himself, but before he could speak Kaldur had beat him to it.

"Robin I need to speak to you about my failure during the simulation. I didn't want to worry the team, so I wanted to talk privately." He said with a voice even more serious then normal.

Robin blinked. "What failure?" He asked confused.

"Me sacrificing myself while trying to evacuate soldiers from the 'Hall of Justice'." He said somewhat irritated. This wasn't a subject he liked to talk about, and Robin wasn't cooperating by acting like this.

Robin looked down and muttered. "It was the right thing to do."

With a loud and somewhat angered voice Kaldur replied. "No it wasn't! It was a selfish act. I was trying to avoid the guilt of having others sacrificing themselves for me. I failed as a team member, the team leader and also as a man. I should have let those soldiers sacrifice themselves for me, so that I could help others, I had superior abilities, I would have been of more use." He felt his anger against himself whelm up, but he suppressed it. He could deal with his emotions during the sessions, matters more pressing were at hand now.

Robin sighed in defeat. "I suppose you're right, but why would you need to speak to me about this?"

Kaldur raised an eyebrow, and said in a confused voice. "Was I unclear? I told you that I failed as a team leader. And from what I heard you replaced after I died, and you were extremely successful. Under your leadership the team managed to destroy the alien's mothership, exceeding the league's expectations by far. What's even more impressive is that you did so under what you believed to be life or dead circumstances. You proved yourself more then worthy to lead this team." Robin lowered his head, this sign of sadness confused Kaldur even more. "I don't understand, I always believed that you wanted to lead the team."

Robin replied without raising his head. "That's what I wanted, but it's not what I want anymore. Not after I got a real taste of what it means to be a leader, what it means to make life and dead decisions." With a sigh he added. "What it means when people wind up dead because of those decisions. I don't want to experience that again, I don't want that at all."

Kaldur took Robin by the shoulder and shook him. Out of sheer curiosity Robin looked up, Kaldur was rarely ever this excited. "Don't you understand? This makes you even more fit to be a leader. Those lead because they want to are generally unfit to do so. You however proved that you're ready to bear the burden of being a leader, so you should. Not because you want to, but because you can." Calmer he added. "I've said this about my leadership during our first mission. 'I will accept this burden, until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders'. During the simulation it became clear that we've reached that point. And I feel no longer fit to lead the team."

Robin didn't really know how he felt about all of this, but he knew one thing. "But I don't want to, and you can't make me."

"You're right I can't." He let out a sigh before continuing. "Thus I fear we have a problem."

Wally~~~Artemis

As Wally ate away at his twelfth candy bar he noticed that Artemis looked at him with something else then disgust, something very rare while he was eating. "What?" he said with his mouth full. And there was the disgust again.

She frowned. "Could you please mind your manner just a little bit?"

Wally made a grunt of disapproval, but he did swallow his bite. "Better?"

"Actually yeah, it is."

Curiously Wally raised his first question again, this time a tiny bit more mannered. "So what is bugging you? You looked at me strangely, did I piss you of or something?"

Sounding much kinder then she normally did while addressing Wally she replied. "No I just wanted to thank you for what you said during the session."

Wally shrugged not really understanding her. "You did so already during the session, you don't need to thank me twice."

M'gann played with her hair uncomfortable with bringing this up. "I don't feel I thanked you properly, I didn't want to make a scene." She paused for a moment as Wally looked at her with genuine interest. "To be honest the way you've been treating me really bothered me. I felt unwelcome, like an invader of some sort. So it really meant a lot to me when you said you saw me as a team member." She had expect Wally to be somewhat pleased by her expression of gratitude, but his look clearly showed he was pained.

"Wow I'm so sorry, I didn't know it bothered you that much. I feel like such a jerk right now."

Somewhat uncomfortable by Wally's serious response Artemis just laughed and said teasingly. "Well you kind of are, a rather annoying and disgusting one at that."

Wally snorted. "Well you are kind of a meany, a rather cold and mean one." Wally returned, realizing only now how stupid and childish that sounded.

Artemis chuckled. "Well I suppose I could try to be less of a mean and cold meany."

"Yeah and I could try to be less of an annoying disgusting yerk, but no promises that I'll succeed." He grinned and extended his hand. "Friends?"

Artemis ignored the outstretched hand and lightly hugged him. "Friends"

Robin~~~Wally~~~Kaldur~~~Conner~~~M'gann~~~Artemis~~Black Canary

A large part of the team entered the debriefing room, chattering and bickering cheerfully. Only Robin and Kaldur entered the room solemnly, not even exchanging glance with their team members. Black Canary aswell kept a solemn posture, she sat down and with a serious voice she said. "The session has begun again, if you want to share or ask anything now is the time. Otherwise it's better to keep silent."

Immediately the chatter died as the team realized again what they were here for. Everyone found a seat in the semi-circle, and for a moment it was silent. Then Artemis rose from her chair. "I'm sorry to ask about this, but I really would like to know: What happened during the simulation. All I can remember is being disintegrated by one of the alien ships."

The entire team was somewhat shocked by Artemis question, and no one felt like answering it. Instead they just looked at the ground. As Black Canary realized that the question would go unanswered she turned to M'gann. "I know it is not easy to talk about it, but you survived the simulation the longest, your memory is the most complete." She paused for a moment, she didn't want to pressure M'gann. "And I know it's a lot to ask, but I also think that sharing your experience of it can really help you."

M'gann stood up a tear going down here face. The entire team expected her to start talking, but instead she ran to the door. Before she could reached it Conner had taking her by the hand. She turned around to look in his eyes. For a full minute they just looked at each other silently. It was obviously they were having a telepathic conversation, one that none could or should join.

After one minute M'gann was shedding more tears, but she did let Conner walk her to her seat again. They both sad down and Conner put an arm around her shoulder. She looked down, and with her eyes fixed on the floor she started talking.

She spoke of Artemis dead, how her emotions had become overwhelming, how the shock had left her numb, how happy she felt when they encountered John John, how gladly she joined Wally's optimism, how she too needed to believe the alien's disintegration-beam was a teleportation beam, and that everyone might still be alive. She confessed that she believed it so strongly that she did not even responded when Khaldur didn't make it to the cave, She told about how she felt when she lost her telepathic link with Conner, how she was forced to accept that everyone hit by the beam was dead. How that shock of realization had devastated her, and how she would have broken down if it wasn't for John John. Lastly she told about the utter loneliness she felt when the alien's mothership had blown, leaving her the sole survivor of the team, and that she just gave up when the replacement mothership arrived.

When she finished she broke in tears and sobs.

Conner didn't really know what to do, and just looked at her. Wally made let out a soft cough, only heard by him. As he looked up to Wally he cought his glare, Wally seemed angry at him, like he did something wrong. When Wally saw he had Conner's attention he gestured with his head towards M'gann repeatedly. Eventually Conner took the hind he lifted her up from her seat, set her down on his lap, gently rubbed her back and let her cry on his shoulder. Wally smiled feeling pleased at his attempt of subtlety, none of this went unnoticed to anyone in the room.

Conner's embrace calmed M'gann down enough to speak between the sobs, with her face still buried in Conner's shoulder she cried out. "And it's all my fault, it's all my fault that you experienced that hell. You must hate me so much!"

To this the entire team raced towards M'gann and Conner. They all tried to comfort her. Wally and Robin knelt down and hugged any part of her they could touch with decency, and Kaldur and Megan each placed a hand on her shoulder as they all made soothing comforting remarks.

Conner as he did in M'gann's room earlier gave her a peck on the head and used his thumb to gently lift her head. "See M'gann, nobody is angry at you, no one is blaming you for anything." He paused for a few seconds before he added. "And even if the incident was your fault, then we would all forgive you. We all know that you would never purposely do something to hurt us, and how sorry you would be if you accidentely would, how sorry you are now." As he looked in her sad eyes he forgot about everyone in the room. He brushed away her tears and laced a gentle kiss on her lips.

Black Canary was a little surprised to see the M'gann and Conner were a coulpe, but she was mostly touched. Touched by the scene developing in front of her, and she softly smilled at how Conner had stopped M'gann's sobbing. However she couldn't allow let her emotions stand in the way of her counselling, and as a counsellor she felt the sessions needed to continue. Gently so she wouldn't undo the comforting actions of Conner and the rest of the team she said. "That was very brave of you M'gann, no one could have expected you to share that experience so openly. But I need to continue the session now, remember you don't need to stay if you don't want to. However I think it…"

Too everyone surprise Artemis interrupted her, with an angry voice she said. "Why? Can't you see M'gann is still hurting? Why should we ignore that and continue the session?"

Wally rose from the ground and backed her up. "Artemis is right, besides we can have another session tomorrow."

Now Kaldur too joined in. "I have to agree with the team, it feels like we have booked enough progress for today."

Conner stood up carrying the still sobbing M'gann. "You said we could leave at any time, we choice to leave right now."

Finally Robin got up. "Not much use of having a team session without the team. Sorry Black Canary, guess we'll see you tomorrow."

It was strange the team had entered the room somewhat cheerful and divided, only to leave it now tired and sad, but as a team.

AN: I'm more satisfied with this chapter then with the first one, but I feel like I messed up the end. I'll probably rewrite it soon.

After writing this I feel like just making a fanfic season two from this, I have material for at least 5 more chapters, but I could use some help. Having a beta would be great (any volunteers? I'll gladly return the favor), but I also need some extra inspiration on secondary characters, mostly on the villains. (Help on Wally is also very much appreciated, He is my favorite character, but he's hard to write). I'm sure to be using Lex Luthor, Ra's a ghul and simply because I loved him in terrors Icicle Jr, I will definitely 100% ignore the Joker. I want to be true to the YJ series, but their Joker sucks (the worst I've ever seen, and I think I've seen them all). I just realize how much longer it takes to write then to read. This took me easily a few hours to write, but I can read it in under 5 minutes.