Author's Note: So first off- today's my birthday! As a gift from me to you, I give you another chapter! :) Also, because I'm going away for the summer I won't have time to update, so I'm going to start updating every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so I can finish this fic before I leave! Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Shauna slammed her door shut after Wally and the police had left.

She had acted so stupid!

Groaning in frustration, She let herself flop on her bed and covered her head with her pillow.

She could only imagine what Wally thought of her now, after he had seen her fall apart.

He had been so cool and collected during the whole encounter- why couldn't she have been like that?

Shauna rolled over onto her back and flung her pillow across the room where it hit a picture frame and sent it falling to the floor, where the glass shattered and sprinkled everywhere.

Covering her face with her hands, Shauna rolled back over and in a few minutes, she was sound asleep.

~*~11*11~*~

After Dick left, Wally sat alone in his kitchen trying to decipher the hidden message Dick had left him.

Girls like that are nothing but trouble.

Girls like what?

Wally shook his head in frustration and stood up.

Shauna was just a friend- in fact, she was more like an acquaintance- he didn't even know enough about her to be friends.

Wally shook his head again and walked to the kitchen.

Did it even matter if he considered her a friend? When Artemis came home he wouldn't be seeing much of her anyway.

Opening a bag of chips, Wally shoved a few into his mouth before slumping down on the couch and falling asleep almost instantly.

~*~11*11~*~

The next morning, it took Shauna a few moments to understand why she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday, and why she was on top of her comforter.

Then it all came rushing back to her and she groaned and covered her face.

Wally must think I'm such a baby.

Standing up slowly, Shauna looked at herself in the mirror and resisted the urge to laugh.

Her hair was sticking up in odd places, and mascara was dried on her cheeks. Her shirt was wrinkled and her eyes were red and puffy.

Rubbing them absently, Shauna shuffled into the kitchen and threw together a bowl of cereal.

In between bites, she let her mind wander to the list of things she had to do today.

Shower, clean up after the robbery, thank Wally-

Shauna shook her head and pushed her cereal to the middle of the table.

Thank Wally?

She had thanked him yesterday.

But you were in shock yesterday, it would sound more sincere if you thanked him today.

Shaking her head and discarding the rest of her cereal into the trash, Shauna went to the bathroom to get ready to start the day.

~*~11*11~*~

Wally woke up on the floor.

The sheets and comforter he had situated on the couch were wrapped around him and he had the feeling of being in a cocoon.

From his bed in the corner, Brucely watched Wally as he struggled to untangle himself.

Glancing at the clock, Wally saw that it was time for his morning walk.

Standing up, Wally sighed as he let his memory drift as he walked to his old bedroom to get dressed.

"Wally!"

"Wha- Artemis, what's wrong?"

He sat up in bed, still half asleep, and looked in the doorway to see Artemis standing with her hands on her hips.

"You need to take Brucely out."

Wally slumped back and covered his face with his pillow.

"Babe, I'm sleeping here- can't you do it?"

He felt her grasp the pillow and wrench it away from his face.

"Hey!"

"It's Saturday, Wally! Saturday is your day to take him out."

Wally rolled over and stuffed his face in Artemis's pillow.

"Yeah, well… I forgot to set my alarm. You know I can't just get up and go like you can."

"Flattery won't get you out of this one."

"C'mon babe!"

"If you're not out in five minutes, I'm bringing him in here and you're cleaning up the mess he makes."

"Babe!"

She walked out of their room, stopping in the threshold to look back and glare at him.

"Five minutes."

Pulling a t-shirt over his head, Wally chuckled to himself. He hadn't gotten up, and Artemis had stayed true to her word. Five minutes later, Brucely was making a mess in the corner of their room- and he had to clean it.

Wally kneeled down to attached the leash onto Brucely's collar and rubbed the top of his head.

"Remember that, boy? Artemis was so mad at me… but she got over it. She always does."

Brucely panted in response.

"Do you miss her, boy? I know I do."

Brucely barked and Wally sighed.

"Let's go."

~*~11*11~*~

Shauna was sweeping up the glass from her broken picture frame when she happened to look out the window and see Wally walking his dog in front of her house.

She stopped what she was doing and rested her arms on the windowsill.

He really was handsome.

He was wearing a red t-shirt, but instead of clashing with his red hair, the combination worked for him.

She watched as he bounced on the balls of his feet and looked up and down the street, waiting for his dog to finish sniffing around.

Struck by a sudden idea, Shauna stood up suddenly and ran to retrieve the bag of trash.

When she walked outside, Wally was waiting by the fire hydrant as his dog did his business.

"Good morning."

Wally jumped and spun around.

"Oh. Hey, Shauna."

She threw the trash into the garbage can and then walked over to him.

"How are you?"

Wally shrugged and tugged on his dog's leash when he wandered into the street.

"Fine… what about you?"

She knew he was referring to yesterday.

"I'm better… I wanted to thank you again- for coming over last night."

Wally shrugged again.

"It really wasn't a big deal."

Shauna took a step closer to him, and she could smell his cologne.

"It was to me."

Their eyes met and held for a second longer than socially acceptable, but then Wally took a step back and rocked awkwardly on his heels.

"Well… anytime. What are neighbors for, right?"

Shauna laughed and flipped her hair.

"I don't know about you, but you're the first neighbor that I've had that's saved me from a burglary."

Despite himself, Wally grinned, and he was about to say something when he was cut off by a shrill bark from Brucely.

They both looked to see what he was barking at, and saw an old car driving up the street. When it reached them it slowed and the window rolled down.

Shauna saw Wally grin and walk up the driver's seat.

"Hey Megan, Zee."

Shauna looked over his shoulder to see a woman with black hair and piercing blue eyes behind the wheel, and a woman with short red hair and freckles sitting next to her in the passenger's seat.

"Wally. We were in the neighborhood, and thought we'd drop by to see how you're doing."

Wally shrugged and pulled on Brucely's leash to prevent him from jumping on the car door.

The woman with red hair stepped out of the car and walked around to Wally. Without warning, she threw her arms around him and began sobbing into his neck.

Wally awkwardly pat her on the back and struggled to contain Brucely as he attempted to jump on the woman.

Shauna heard the other woman cut the engine, and she stepped out, too.

Brucely went mad.

The woman with black hair kneeled down and took him in her arms. Her touch seemed to calm him down and his barking ceased.

Around this time the redhead stopped crying and took a step back, wiping her eyes.

"Gosh, Wally, if I feel this way I can't imagine how you're holding up."

Wally rubbed the back of his neck and his eyes flickered to Shauna.

The redhead followed his gaze and she blushed.

She nudged Wally, "aren't you going to introduce us?"

Wally shifted uncomfortably.

"Sure, uh, guys this is my neighbor, Shauna. Shauna this is Megan and Zatanna."

The redhead, Megan, extended her hand and smiled.

"It's so nice to meet you."

Shauna smiled and shook her hand before turning to see the woman with black hair, Zatanna, glaring at Wally.

"Don't you think it's a little early, Wally?"

Wally's jaw dropped and his face turned as red as his hair.

"What! No! You think we're-?! What! Pssha! Absolutely not! Ha- you think? What? Ha… ha."

Awkward silence followed Wally's words, and Brucely whimpered in Zatanna's arms. She set him down and brushed off her pants, avoiding Wally's gaze.

"We were actually heading to the cemetery. Megan's parked over there," she waved her hand indifferently to the end of the street, "and we stopped by to see if you wanted to come with us."

She glanced at Shauna before continuing.

"Obviously you're busy, but we'll tell Artemis you send your love."

Shauna saw Wally stare at her, dumbfounded as she got back in the car, followed by Megan, and drove away without another word.

~*~11*11~*~

Wally could die.

Not literally, of course. But the embarrassment he was feeling right now was only comparable to the first time he had met Artemis, when he face planted right in front of her.

Shauna was standing in front of him, confusion etched on her every feature.

Not only had Zatanna just accused Wally of being with Shauna, but she had also revealed that Artemis was supposedly dead.

She bit her lip and looked around awkwardly before opening her mouth to speak,

"Soo…care to fill me in?"

Wally rubbed his forehead and shook his head slowly.

"They thought that we were-"

"I know what they thought!" Shauna snapped, and then shook her head, "sorry... I mean, I know what they thought, but why did they say they were visiting Artemis, your girlfriend, in a cemetery, when you told me she was in a coma?"

Uh-oh.

"Because… because she isn't in a coma. She died in the… in the accident."

Shauna's face paled.

"Wally why didn't you-"

Wally ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Because I've been in denial- okay?!"

Shauna's heart ached and she pulled him into a hug without thinking.

His muscles were tense, but they seemed to relax in her embrace, and soon he was hugging her back.

"I'm so sorry, Wally."

He was silent as he pulled back, and Shauna wiped tears from her eyes.

"I should go but… Wally if you ever need anything, or if you just want to talk… you know where to find me."

Wally nodded and managed a small smile.

Shauna smiled back before making her way inside, the feel of his arms around her burning her skin.