Finally a new chapter!
It has been a while so it was hard for me to write this, but it's done!
It's not been beta-read yet, so I'm sorry for any mistakes but I'll update it when it is beta-read.
edit: It has been beta-read now by ShellH from DA :)
Hong Kong April 28th 10:15
Jade never cried.
The last time she had cried was more than fifteen years ago, when she finally understood that every time her father went on 'a vacation' he actually had to spend time in jail again.
She hadn't cried when she was nearly beaten to death by a drunk Lawrence.
She hadn't cried when her mother was crippled and sent to jail.
She hadn't cried when she left home for good and joined the League of Shadows.
But now she didn't know what to do but cry.
Because the little sign on the pregnancy test clearly said positive.
How could she have been so stupid?
With her face in her hands she cried until she had no more tears left.
When she had calmed down, she grabbed her bag and threw her belongings in it.
From now on she couldn't stay in one place for longer than a few weeks anymore, if she wanted to hide her pregnancy from the League of Shadows.
Mount Justice July 12th 19:30
"Red Arrow B-03" the computer's voice announced as Roy stepped from the Zeta-beam.
Today was his nineteenth birthday and Dick and Wally acted as if they had forgotten, so that could mean only one thing.
A surprise party.
"Happy Birthday, Roy!"
As the lights flicked on Roy saw that the entire Young Justice team and their mentors were there. And a few extra people like Dinah and Hal.
The living room had been decorated, and in the centre on the table was standing a big cake.
"Hey guys." Roy said happily.
Wally and Dick were the first ones to jump him and fight over who could congratulate him first.
"Dude, you were first last year!" Wally yelled.
"That's not true!" Dick yelled back.
"Okay, okay calm down squirts." Roy tried to calm them down.
Both the boys looked at him simultaneously.
"Mind your own business, Roy!" they yelled at him.
Roy just looked at them shook his head.
"Fine, I'll go talk with people who do care about me." he shrugged.
When all the gifts were opened and the cake was eaten, most heroes left.
At the end it was only Roy, Dick and Wally who were left. And they were hanging in front of the big tv in the living room.
"So what are we gonna do now?" Dick asked his friends.
Wally shrugged, "I don't know, watch movies all night?"
"We can take a zeta-beam to Star City, and you guys can stay the night at my apartment?" Roy offered, "Then we can watch movies all night without being disturbed."
Dick jumped up, "Good idea, then I don't have to wear those stupid glasses the whole time!"
"Let's go right now!" Wally exclaimed.
Roy laughed. He couldn't think of a better way to end his birthday.
Paris July 12th 23:14
Jade made her way home to the little apartment she had rented for her stay in Paris. She was tired and just longed for a few hours of sleep.
Her pregnancy was wearing her out, she hadn't expected that it would be so hard to hide from the League of Shadows.
At first Jade had been confident that no one would notice what was going on, but now that she was fifteen weeks along and clearly showing she felt more and more insecure.
But for now, Paris would have to do.
When she reached the door of her apartment and turned the key in the rusty old lock a strange feeling of unease crept over her.
She surveyed the hallway again and slowly opened the door.
Inside everything was dark and the way she had left it.
But when her hand reached for the light switch she could swear that she saw something move on the other side of the room.
With one of her sais in her hand the she flicked the light on and gasped.
Sitting on the couch in her living room was Lawrence Crock.
"Hey, little girl." he said completely calm.
Jade followed her father's gaze and realized he was looking at her belly, so she crossed her arms and acted like she didn't know what he was staring at.
"What do you want? " she asked him sharply.
Her eyes met those of Lawrence.
"I hadn't spoken to you in almost fifteen weeks, so I realized there was something wrong. But now I see why you have been off the grid." he said looking disappointed.
"So?" Jade answered not as indifferent as she wanted.
"I never expected such stupidity from you, Jade." Lawrence said with a sigh.
"Does the League know?" she answered and suddenly she was frightened.
What if they had sent her father?
She would do anything to protect her child but right now she was in no condition to defend herself.
"No, they don't."
Now Jade could breathe a little more freely again. At least the worst had not happened yet.
Lawrence stood up from the couch and walked up to her.
"Who's the father?"
"That's none of your business."
"Don't I have the right to meet the father of my new grandchild?"
"Why are you here, dad?"
Lawrence thought for a moment and then locked eyes with her again.
"To give you a warning. If I have been able to find out where you are, so will the League. And they are not going to go as easy on you as I."
With that said he pushed Jade aside and walked out of the apartment. Jade just stood there for a few minutes before she collapsed on the couch and started crying.
She hated these stupid mood swings.
Star City November 29th 14:06
Roy hated college when he had just had a few hours sleep.
He couldn't understand why those stupid thugs just had to pick last night to rob a bank, just when he had wanted to sleep a full night for a change so he wouldn't fall asleep during his test.
He hadn't studied very much because he kept postponing it and now it was too late. This would be a re-examination.
"Mr. Harper, are you going to continue this test or are you going to take your beauty nap?"
Roy was shaken up from his thoughts by the professor. He thought for a while. Then he stood up and grabbed his backpack.
He handed his test to his professor, "I'm going home to continue my beauty nap." he told the man and walked out of the hall.
It didn't matter if he stayed or left, he would fail it anyway.
London November 29th 14:06
Jade was nervously sitting in her seat waiting for her plane to depart. With her finger she followed invisible lines on her belly, which was now pretty big.
She had waited until the last moment before flying back to Vietnam and now, at almost 36 weeks pregnant, was her last chance before she wasn't allowed to fly anymore.
After thinking about it for a long time, she had decided that she wanted her baby to be born where her own origins lay. And it was a place where she would be relatively safe for the time being.
The only thing she had to do, was find a way to get Roy back to Ho Chi Minh City.
She had found out about his identity a while ago and when she had pieced it together she wasn't even that surprised.
He had seemed familiar from the start.
And it offered her an opportunity.
She didn't want her baby to grow up the way she had. Surrounded by villains and never being sure about your own future. She wanted her baby to be safe and to grow up a good person.
So Jade had decided that it would have to be Roy who had to raise her baby. After all, it was his fault just as much as hers.
It would be hard she realized, to give her baby to a man whom she actually hardly knew, but it would be better than being hunted by the League of Shadows.
The more Jade thought about it the more sad she became. And when the plane departed her face was once again streaked with tears. She hated these mood swings...
