Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue me.

Author's Note: I know the artist mentioned with in the story are probably all on different labels, but this is a work of fiction and fantasy so please don't be too critical of that little fact. Music and lyrics belong to their respective artist.

I have also realized that I screwed up slightly on the timeline. I know that on the show Dinah was supposedly 16 when she came to New Gotham, in my story she wasn't quite 16 yet. I know, I know…please forgive my stupidity.

I'm sorry this took so long but real life can be a pain.

Warning: Same sex lovin'. Have a problem with it?

New Gotham Park……

As she waited for Gabby to come around and open her door Dinah tried to employ some of the vision deprivation training Barbara had be doing with her. Trying to focus on allowing her other senses to pick up on little clues as to where Gabby had taken her, Dinah began to notice things she hadn't before; She heard people, lots of them from the slight roar which was now muffled by the closed car doors, she had smelled fresh cut grass and something that reminded her vaguely of summer bar-b-cues back in Opal.

When her door was opened her ears were assaulted by yet more crowd noises. Where ever they were there were a lot of people, some where off in the distance she became aware of musical instruments warming up. 'What the hell?' she thought; before she could completely process the information her mind was gathering Dinah became keenly aware of Gabby's sudden appearance in her personal space. Her lips curled into a bright smile when she felt soft ringlets slide across her cheek sending electric tingles rocketing through her body, she even forgot to breathe as Gabby's warm breath caressed the sensitive skin at the base of her throat.

"Damn you smell good, like strawberries, you're making me hungry D." Gabby teased as she reached in to undo Dinah's seat belt. Smiling wickedly Gabby ghosted her lips across Dinah's saying "And I think I know just what I want for dessert." The smaller woman took pleasure in the girl's sharp inhalation and the visible tremor that ran through her friend's body before continuing "We should stop at the Briar on the way back to my house for strawberry shortcakes."

"On our way back from where, Gabs?" Dinah asked as Gabby helped her out of the car; in all honesty she felt kind of silly as she was lead, blind folded into what sounded like a large crowd.

"You'll see in a minute." Gabby replied as she positioned Dinah in front of a large banner. Standing behind her friend the shorter girl reached up and untied the blindfold. Grinning, Gabby leaned her head on Dinah's shoulder, waiting anxiously for the girl's reaction.

As the soft fabric of the blindfold fell away from her eyes Dinah blinked at the sudden flood of harsh sunlight that assaulted her. It took her almost a full minute to get the words on the banner to focus, when they did her jaw dropped.

The New Gotham Park Concert Series

Presents

The Concrete Cowboy Tour

Featuring

Howie Day, Tyler Hilton, Michelle Branch, Jack Johnson, and John Mayer

"Oh wow. I…This is…uh…I mean…wow." Dinah stuttered, stumbled through trying to find the right words but it seemed as if there was a short circuit some where between her brain and her mouth.

Gabby laughed softly at the girl's uncharacteristic loss of words. "Your welcome." She said as she tugged on Dinah's arm, leading the still stunned girl towards a space in the ever growing crowd of people. As they moved through a sea of brightly colored blankets, the taller girl noticed Gabby was carrying an odd shaped basket pack slung over her shoulder and the gray army blanket tucked under her arm.

As they reached an empty patch of grass Gabby set the basket on the ground and had Dinah help her spread the blanket out. Both girls had just got settled when the MC came out and began his little intro. Soon Howie Day was singing about the perfect time of day. Both girls joked around enjoying the sights, sounds, and enticingly delicious smells that wafted through the air. The crowd moved around them like the ebb and flow of the tide on a beach.

Gabby watched as Dinah closed her eyes and mouthed the words to the song 'Collide', head tilted back slightly, her hair spilling from the neat ponytail like a fountain of honey, just enjoying the feel of the fading summer sun. Gabby could barely believe that they were beginning their junior year of high school let alone that she would be turning seventeen in less than a week.

'They weren't kidding when they said time flies.' She thought to herself.

Again Gabby studied her friend; it had been a little over a year ago that Dinah Redmond had come to New Gotham a shy and some what awkward fifteen year old trying hard to fit into the harsh society that was high school. She had been an outcast in the school's social hierarchy branded "weird and a loser", such a complete contrast to the young woman that now sat before her.

Dinah Lance was now a strong, confident, and mysterious woman. Although she still wasn't in with the "in" crowd, she commanded respect from most of the student body. Many people still thought that she was a bit weird, but that usually stemmed from her lack of appearances at various parties and social events. It sometimes seemed like the girl didn't have a social life, in fact this last weekend had to be the most she had ever seen the girl out, and they were best friends.

Dinah's clapping brought the girl out of her reverie, noticing the slightly pink tint of her friend's fair skin, Gabby dug through the basket pack coming up with sunscreen.

"Here you go D, don't want you to turn into a lobster." Gabby teased as she handed the tube to the girl. Dinah took it with a grateful smile.

"Thanks Gabs, it's been a while since I have gotten to sit out in the sun." Dinah said smoothing the protective cream on her arms and legs then across her face.

Gabby watched avidly as Dinah's hands moved across sun warmed skin ensuring that nothing was missed. When Dinah began to close the tube Gabby stilled her hands.

"You missed a couple of spots." Gabby said quietly, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears. Taking the sunscreen from the girl's unmoving hands, placing a small dab of cream on her palm she set the tube on the blanket and rubbed her hands together. Slowly she reached up with both hands, gently massaging the cream onto the shell of Dinah's ears with her finger tips and then carefully working her way down the back of the girl's long slender neck and just under the collar of the light t-shirt she was wearing.

"Thanks." Dinah said, almost shyly. Gabby had yet to remove her hands from where they rested lightly on her neck. Suddenly she was hot and she had a feeling that it had very little to do with the sun that blazed over head. Gabby started to lean in and kiss Dinah, then as if realizing they were in the middle of a crowd Gabby pulled her hands away abruptly leaving Dinah reeling.

"Sorry, got a little lost in thought for a moment there." Gabby apologized as she hurriedly applied sunscreen to her own skin and then put the tube back into the pack. Dinah watched the other girl try to busy herself.

"What's wrong Gabby?" Dinah asked moving around so that she was facing Gabby; the touch telepath took both her friend's hands and held them, willing the smaller girl to look into her eyes. Dinah ignored the waves of feelings, memories, and thoughts that lapped at wall around her mind.

Sighing Gabby looked up into eyes that matched the sky above. "I almost kissed you just now. D, I'm sorry, I just forgot where we were for a minute."

"I know…So why didn't you?" Dinah asked grinning, rubbing her thumb across the other girl's palm.

Gabby opened and closed her mouth trying desperately to find the right words to say. D laughed, trying to keep the mood light.

"But I mean, what if someone were to see us?" Gabby asked nodding slightly at the crowd around them. Dinah frowned at this. Gabby wasn't the type to be ashamed of who she was. Granted she didn't go around waving a banner that said "I'm gay!" but she didn't hide it either.

"Are you worried about what people will say about us? Or me?" Dinah asked pausing to look around "I don't care who sees me with you. I don't care what anyone thinks of me, only you Gabby. I only care what you think." Dinah finished, squeezing Gabby's hand reassuringly.

Gabby smiled "Not even Ms. G and Helena?" Dinah looked in the direction her friend was staring, and found her mentor and Helena escorted by Reese and another man. It seemed as if they were searching for something, when Dinah's eyes locked with Barbara's she knew that it was them. Turning back to Gabby she found the girl smiling apologetically.

"I kinda of invited them when I ran into them at the café. Sorry."

"It's fine. Really." Dinah did her best to convey the sarcasm in her words. "Barbara…Helena…over here." She called to her friends. Trying hard to hide the slight disappointment, Dinah smiled as she greeted her guardian. "Hey Barbara, who's the stud?" The blonde girl asked winking flirtatiously at the tall dark haired man standing behind her mentor.

The man smiled at Dinah as Barbara blushed. "You must be Caroline's daughter."

Dinah smiled and offered her hand to Barbara's mystery man. "Dinah Lance and this is my friend Gabby."

"Richard Grayson, nice to meet you both." He said shaking both girls' hands, his ice blue eyes glittered with amusement at Barbara's obvious discomfort.

"Wow…you have your mother's eyes, but that is definitely Oli…ooomf." Dick's observation was cut short by the red head's elbow colliding with his stomach.

"Definitely all what?" Dinah asked looking back and forth between both adults.

"Nothing Dinah, Dick was just forgetting his manners." Barbara answered as she watched him rub the sore spot where she had elbowed him.

Shrugging Dinah scooted over closer to Gabby, Making room for her family. After all the adults had gotten settled, Dinah took time to study the new additions to the group. Through her Heroes 101 crash course she knew enough about the mysterious Richard Grayson to know that he had been Batman's first apprentice. Then after years of fighting side by side with Batman and then Batgirl he had walked away from them, starting a new life with a new super hero identity in Bludhaven.

Dinah was yanked out of her thoughts by the feel of Gabby softly nudging her with her shoulder. "Hey…if you're tired you can take a cat nap." Dinah smiled at the phrase Gabby had used.

"No, I'm fine…besides, I think cat naps are more Helena's style." Dinah batted away the chip Hel threw at her, laughing at the older woman's irritation.

"You see Barbara; I told you she starts it. Here I was minding my own business and she goes trying to pick a fight." Helena whined to the older woman. Babs just shook her head and went back to listening to the music, ignoring the baby carrot that went whizzing past her ear and catching a slightly distracted Helena square on the back of her head.

Seeing that the situation could easily escalate into an all out food fight, Gabby grabbed Dinah's hand, threw a hasty apology towards the adults, and headed for the small row of concession stands.

"Hey! I could have so taken her in a food fight." Dinah laughed as Gabby all but dragged her along.

"I'm sure you could have Sunshine, but I would really rather not have my favorite shirt ruined." Gabby said as she veered away from the small stand of canopies towards the pond.

Recovering from the mild surprise at the new nickname Dinah asked "Where are you taking me?"

"The pond, there's something I wanted you to see." Gabby said as she led them over to a large tree, sitting down leaning against the tree, she motioned for Dinah to join her. As Dinah got settled she looked over at Gabby expectantly.

"So what's on your mind Gabs?"

Gabby leaned forward crossing her arms and resting them on her knees. Motioning with her head towards the pond she said "Tell me what you see, D."

Dinah smiled at her friend and looked out at the water. She saw ducks swimming along; on the shoreline, kids skipped rocks across the surface there laughter filling the air. Off in the distance was the New Gotham skyline. Not knowing what to say, Dinah went for the obvious.

"I see water, some ducks, kids, the city…." Her voice trailed off. Looking away from the scenery she studied Gabby. The girl was looking at her with a longing smile. "I mean it's beautiful, but I don't really know what exactly I am looking for." Dinah finished lamely.

Gabby took a moment to look deeply into Dinah's eyes; she let herself drown in the cerulean depths of the girl's soul, and in turn willed the fair woman to do the same. How she wished there was a way to just open her heart and mind and let Dinah see how she felt rather than have to struggle through the inadequacies of the English language. She searched through every vocabulary lesson she could remember for the right words to ask the question that had been on her mind since Dinah had left her this morning.

Finally Gabby sighed, realizing that there would never be a perfect time or the perfect words and decided to just jump in and have faith that Dinah would be there to catch her.

"I come here sometimes, when I need to think or if I'm having a problem with my art and just need to clear my mind." She began awkwardly. "Even before you came to New Gotham, this was like my special spot. I would come and sit just watching life as it happened around me."

Looking back out at the city skyline she noted that the sun was low on the horizon, the sky was beginning to streak with shades of purple, red, and orange. Beams of golden sunlight filtered through the myriad of trees and reflected off the pond creating a natural light show, displaying the best nature had to offer. Off in the distance she could hear Tyler Hilton singing 'Picture perfect'.

'Just ask her you idiot!' Doing her best to bolster her waning self confidence, Gabby took a deep breath and decided to just take the chance. Turning to Dinah she gently took the girl's hand and held it.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out with me." Gabby asked. Dinah looked at her questioningly.

"We are out silly, if it's for next weekend I'll have to ask Barbara, she might already have plans. And if it's about your birthday don't worry, I already have permission to stay over, I mean if it's okay and all." Dinah said, her words almost rambling together.

Smiling at her friend's ability to go on and on, Gabby brought her hand up and placed a single finger on Dinah's lips to silence her ranting. Seeing that the girl was listening, Gabby dropped her hand.

"That isn't what I meant D. Do you remember that first day at NGH?" Dinah rolled her eyes, Gabby chuckled softly at this. "The first time I saw you wasn't when you were standing up in front of the class telling that silly zipper story; It was before that when you were crouched down in you seat trying to be invisible. In that moment I wanted to know what would make a woman as beautiful as you are, try so hard to be unseen. I wanted to know who you were where you were from; I wanted to know you Dinah." Smiling at Dinah she asked "Did I ever tell you that I sketched you that day?" Gabby could tell from the stunned look on Dinah's face that she hadn't.

Dinah squeezed Gabby's hand reassuringly, "You'll have to show me it sometime." Gabby just nodded.

Taking a deep calming breath Gabby laced her fingers with Dinah's looking up the older girl locked eyes with her friend. "What I meant was, would you like to go out with me in that cheesy, old-fashioned be-my-girl kinda way?"

At first Dinah's reaction could probably be described as shocked, but the girl quickly recovered, a huge grin spread across her lips.

"I was beginning to think you would never ask, of course I'll go out with you." Dinah replied smiling then leaned in to meet Gabby half way in a soft kiss.

'Stays awake to see a picture perfect moon she'll give me
She ties a ribbon to and with the stars
She lets me know she's mine'