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A/N: I usually try to alternate between who "tells" each chapter and technically it was Wally's turn. But I just couldn't get him to come out, so it's mostly from Artemis's perspective. This is a shorter chapter as well. The next one will be a doozy though.
After this chapter, there will be larger time skips. For example, in the next chapter, the twins will be 4, CJ will be 7, Cal will be 9 and Richie will be 10. I will try to remember to include the ages of each kid who appears from now on to give a better idea of when the events are taking place.
In other news, I am now shamelessly plugging another fic of mine, "Acceptance." If you like Arrow family fluff, feel free to check it out.
The Wests
The West parents are exhausted. It seems to them that neither of the girls have stopped crying since they were brought home from the hospital. The boys, particularly CJ, haven't taken well to the new arrivals. All in all, there have been a lot of tears as of late.
It is something of a miracle when the girls cry themselves to sleep by seven o'clock one night. The older members of the family eat a quiet dinner in hopes that the babies won't wake up and start wailing again. Then Wally checks over Richie and Cal's homework as the reporter tries to get CJ ready for bed.
The youngest West son has been very difficult lately. Wally has been concerned about CJ's behavior, but between his job and being the Flash and trying to help Artemis find ways to soothe their daughters, he hasn't had much time to get to the root of the problem.
"I don't want to go to bed," the little boy insists. "They don't have to," he adds darkly. CJ points at his older brothers, who are racing through the house in tiny blurs now that they've finished their work.
Wally exchanges a look with Artemis. It makes sense now. CJ has been acting out because he's not fast like his brothers are. Combined with the fact that he's not the baby of the family anymore, it's no wonder he hasn't been himself as of late.
"Guys, cut it out," Wally instructs. The older boys skid into stops. They are not the most graceful of creatures and they topple over one another as they stop. They both laugh, and Richie tugs his brother up from the floor. "What have Mommy and I told you about using your speed in the house?"
"We aren't supposed to use it in the house," they chorus together. "Could we use it if CJ was fast like us?" Cal adds. "It would be fun!"
Artemis shakes her head firmly. "Absolutely not. That's why we have a backyard." She scoops CJ up into her arms and carries him upstairs to bed. "Tomorrow, you and I are going to do something really fun and special. Just you and me," she promises the boy. "Won't that be fun, CJ?"
He nods, but he's still sullen. He looks just like Wally when he's upset. Artemis hides a smile and pecks her son on the cheek. "How come I'm not fast like Daddy and my brothers?" CJ asks quietly.
"I don't know," she replies. "But I'm not fast, either. Someone has to be like me, right?"
CJ thinks for a moment. "Do I get to shoot arrows like you and Uncle Roy and Grandpa Ollie?" he questions finally. "I could be real good at that, right?"
She ruffles her son's hair and pulls the blankets over him. "We'll see. Goodnight, CJ. Sweet dreams." Artemis unfolds herself from her perch and crosses the room. She switches the lights off and is reaching for the doorknob when her youngest son's little voice pipes up again.
"You and Daddy don't love the babies more than me, do you?"
The blonde woman flips the light back on and goes back to her son's side. She folds the little boy into a hug and smoothes her hand over his tousled blond hair. "Of course we don't love the babies more than you, CJ. We could never love one of you more than the others."
He looks convinced and he nods. "Okay, Mommy," he says. "Night, night."
"Night, night," Artemis replies.
She leaves the room and finds Wally on the middle of the staircase. He is bouncing each of the older boys up the steps. It's a game he plays with them frequently. The redhead catches her eye and winks. Then he looks at his wife more seriously and jerks his head towards CJ's room. She looks at him grimly and shakes her head.
Artemis disappears down the hallway to the master bedroom. Wally frowns at the fact that things apparently did not go well with his youngest son. Then he looks at the two speedsters-in-training who are clamoring for his attention. He manages a smile and finishes the game. He supervises face washing and teeth brushing and herds them into their separate rooms.
When they are tucked in and all the lights are off, he makes his way to Artemis. She still looks upset as she thumbs through CJ's baby book. Artemis has kept careful records of each child's milestones as they occur. Her parents weren't the type to keep mementos, so it's important to the archer to have those things for her own children. She wears a sad smile as she fingers the plastic hospital bracelet with CJ's name on it.
"He thinks we don't love him as much as the other kids," Artemis chokes out. She shakes her head and Wally sees a lone tear trickle down her cheek. "My baby thinks I don't love him."
Wally is at her side in an instant. He wraps her in a bear hug and holds her tightly. "I've been worried about him too," he admits. "He's not the baby anymore and he's not like his brothers. That's enough to make any kid act out a little. What do you think we should do about him?"
The archer shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. It shouldn't be like this. He's not even four years old yet. It's the middle kid who always ends up crazy, isn't it? Maybe this is how it starts."
The hero frowns at his wife's words. "So you think he should talk to a professional?"
She pulls away from his embrace. Artemis's stormy gray eyes flash dangerously. "There's nothing wrong with our son, Wally. He doesn't need to see a shrink. We will figure this out on our own. As a family." Her tone is firm and the speedster knows it's useless to argue.
But even though he knows it's futile to protest Artemis's edict, her comment nags at him. He definitely doesn't want his son to feel unloved, and he doesn't want to see CJ become a "crazy" middle child. Some extra attention may be in order and Wally sincerely hopes that's the case. But if it's not enough…
"If we can't turn his behavior around by ourselves, we have to consider talking to a professional," Wally speaks up. His tone is just as forceful as the blonde woman's. When Artemis makes a decision about their kids, he rarely argues with her. Her motherly instincts are top notch and she usually turns out to be correct. But this is a serious matter. He has just as much say as Artemis does.
She looks down at the hospital bracelet again. She takes in all the information printed neatly on the plastic and thinks of her son's sweet little face. "You're right," she says finally. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, we'll need to do what's best for him."
Wally pulls her close again. He presses his lips against her forehead. "Where should we start?"
"I told him that tomorrow we'd do something fun together," the reporter tells him. "I thought I might start teaching him archery."
The Flash frowns. His eyebrows knit together. "Why do I think it's a terrible idea to give our toddler son a bow and arrow? Especially after the way he's been acting; are you sure this isn't going to end in disaster?"
Artemis sighs deeply. "I don't know how it's going to turn out Wally," she says tiredly. "He asked why he wasn't fast and I said I wasn't a meta, either. Then he asked if he could shoot arrows like me. What was I supposed to tell him?"
Wally has to admit that his archer wife might have a point. He's sure it must be hard for CJ to be the only non-meta of the West brothers. It makes sense that he would look to archery to be like his mother. But he's not sure giving CJ sharp, dangerous objects is the best move they can make.
"I'm sure Ollie has some kind of rubber tipped arrows," the blonde adds. "I don't think he's ready for the real thing at the age of three. And he might not even like it. But I think after everything, I should at least let him try."
The scientist is quiet for a long time. "I know you'd never let anything happen to him," Wally says eventually. "That's the main thing I would worry about, especially because he's so young. But if you're with him, then I'm fine with it."
Artemis nods. "I'll make him be careful."
The Wests stretch out on their bed. The house is quiet and still; everyone is peaceful. It's a rare occurrence. Wally enjoys it for awhile before something dawns on him. He chuckles lightly and looks down at Artemis, who is lying with her head on his chest. "If he sticks with archery, he's probably going to be really good."
"Of course he is," Artemis replies. "He's got me for a mother and a teacher."
"I know," Wally answers, "but I meant he already has good aim. Didn't you tell me he pegged Marie with a block from halfway across the room? That's really impressive for a toddler."
The reporter bobs her head. "Natural ability," she tells her husband. "It'll be interesting to see what happens, that's for sure." She smiles. "And it'll be nice to have another non-meta around here. I was starting to think I would be the only one."
Wally smiles slightly and runs his fingers through her soft blonde locks. "Well, at least we'll only have to worry about feeding two teenage speedsters instead of three," he says. "I know my mom thought that feeding me was the biggest challenge of having a speedster son."
The heroine makes a face. "That's because you eat like a pig." There's a fondness in his wife's tone and the redhead knows she's just ribbing him a little. "Besides, we don't know if the girls will be speedsters yet," she points out.
"Shh, don't say 'girls'," Wally says in a stage whisper. "They'll wake up and start crying again."
"You are ridiculous," Artemis says, exasperated. But he gives her a big grin and she feels the corners of her mouth turn up despite herself. She adds, "And I love you for it."
0o0o0o0
As promised, Artemis spends the next day with CJ. It's been a mild winter so far and there's no snow on the ground. Artemis takes advantage of this and sets up a little shooting range in the backyard. She gives him a toy bow and arrows that have suction cups at the end instead of tips. It's the best way she can think of to make sure the boy doesn't injure himself.
Being only three, CJ isn't too steady yet as he tries to aim. Artemis places her hands over her son's and shows him the best way to grip the bow. Then she lets go and has him show her that he knows how to do it on his own. He puzzles over it for a moment, but she can see he's got it figured out when he gives her a big smile. CJ holds it up triumphantly. The heroine praises him.
"Let's try shooting now," she says when he's done celebrating his small victory. She straps the little quiver over his shoulders and mimes reaching into it for an arrow. CJ copies her exactly and fits it against the string on his bow. "Just try to hit the tree, okay?"
The little boy wears a look of deep concentration. He releases the string like she instructed, and the arrow soars in a wobbly arc. It does not hit the oak tree, but it lands close by. It's a good first shot for a toddler. CJ frowns and looks up at his mother. "I want to try again," he tells her.
It takes him a good ten tries before he lands a solid stick to the trunk of the oak tree. When he does accomplish it, his face splits into two, divided by a huge grin. "I did it!"
"You did," Artemis agrees. She ruffles his hair again and takes in his pink cheeks and how the tip of his nose is red. The day is growing colder. "Time to come inside now, CJ," she tells the youngest boy. "We can have hot chocolate."
She makes him hot chocolate just the way he likes it, with mini marshmallows and a pinch of cinnamon. She nods encouragingly as he recounts each shot in vivid detail. Artemis remembers the play-by-plays she gave Green Arrow when she was a sidekick and she understands the proud expression he always wore when they fought side by side. The archer smiles to herself.
The rest of the afternoon passes in a blur. Artemis gets ready for work. Wally arrives home with the older boys and the twins. CJ tells the rest of the family all about his archery practice. Everyone who is old enough to understand is impressed and CJ is in his element. He is the center of attention. Artemis catches Wally's eyes.
Her grin is smug. He can practically hear her say, 'I told you so.'