Part Seven:
"WALLACE WEST! YOU GET BACK HERE!" the cave reverberated with the now all too familiar sound of a pissed off Artemis. At five months she was a devil in the guise of a pregnant woman and Wally often struck her ire. Unfortunately she couldn't hope to catch him even while at her peak physical condition, let alone the size of a large doghouse.
"Artemis," Kaldur'ahm spoke with much patience, "calm down. Meditrina has warned us that you must remain calm…Please, join me on the loveseat…"
She gave the speedster, now missing, one last hateful glare before allowing herself to be led to the living room and seated. Kaldur'ahm sat next to her, pulling her into his arms as he tried to calm her.
"I can't wait until she's out of me," she mumbled.
"Nor can I, I am sure Ianthe and Lian would enjoy the company; but we must be patient and you," he flicked her nose playfully, "must not earn a cell on Death Row."
"Easy for you to say…"
"We have talked to Wallace; he is not purposely trying to upset you. I have learnt that your hormones are causing you to have some trouble with your emotions and we understand that but you must still work with us…"
"Yeah, okay." She sighed, "Sorry."
"No need to apologize but perhaps we should look into finding some methods by which you can keep a level head?"
"Sure." She grabbed the remote to the television, wondering aloud, "Maybe Buffy's on…"
Kaldur'ahm sighed.
"Oh god! Lock the door!" Wally was heard to scream.
"He walked in on them again." Kaldur'ahm guessed.
Artemis snorted, "Idiot."
"Lian! Lian!" Roy was heard to call, "Get back here Missy!"
"No!"
"You need to take a bath!"
"No!" a very naked five year old came running through.
"Wally! Be useful for once and catch that kid!"
"Got her." Wally suddenly had her in his arms.
"No bath!" she was crying frantically. It was the routine and they had yet to figure out why she was so scared, "No bath!"
Kaldur'ahm kissed Artemis' temple before getting up, saying, "Come little one, I shall bathe you. You will not drown under my watch…We shall bathe in the sea and not the tub…"
"No bath?"
"No bathtub, yes."
"'Phins?"
The Atlantean chuckled warmly, "Yes child, I shall ask the dolphins to join us again…"
Lian reached out for him and he calmly took her into his arms, taking her soaps and towels in a backpack with them, and heading out to the warm waters of the harbor while speaking in Atlantean to her. She giggled and responded in kind as the door closed behind them.
"How does he do that?" Roy demanded, looking very worn out. Batman had decreed that Lian would stay with Young Justice until they had more information on what the labs were doing with her. Roy had naturally taken responsibility for her, as had Dick and Wally. Nonetheless, only Kaldur'ahm could bathe her without trouble and was taking the time to teach her Atlantean.
Artemis shrugged, "You can't help but feel safe in water with him around."
Twenty minutes later the two trooped back in, Lian squeaky clean and giggling.
"Here she is Roy," Kaldur'ahm handed the girl to her main guardian, "she has been bathed and washed and now only requires to be clothed."
"Thanks man; Lian say thank you to Kal…"
"Tank ooh Kal…"
"You are very welcome Lian," he smiled brightly. Lian was whisked away and Kaldur'ahm returned to the loveseat with Artemis.
In a bedroom, their bedroom, Conner and M'gann collapsed to the mattress sated. He rolled off her back, onto his side but he pulled her close. Meditrina had encouraged them to continue their intimate relationship until such a time it would become hazardous to M'gann and the twins she carried. Which would be about month sixteen of the twenty-four month gestation period…at seven months she was still smaller than Artemis, one couldn't tell if she was expecting or just a bit chubby. Unless the twins were active and one happened to notice the small split second bumps caused by their movements.
Even as she drifted off into sleep he kept stroking her skin. Perhaps it was the fact that he had 'grown up' in a test tube and thus everything had a sense of novelty for him or perhaps it was love and everything that went with the emotion but she still struck him dumb. To touch her filled him with reverence (One of the first things Kaldur'ahm and Robin had impressed upon him after they had rescued him was that no matter what, unless you were saving their life, that you cannot touch someone in any way without their consent), to hold her comforted him to no end and made him understand why he was to be a hero, possibly even the next Superman.
There was a knock at the door and so, pressing a kiss to her temple, he got up to resume the day.
