CHAPTER 10
Young feelings

Black Arrow was helping Artemis with dinner while girls were doing homework. Black Arrow was silent but she had lots of things to talk about but she doesn't want to be rude or anything. It was still weird for her to be where she is right now.

"You really don't have any questions?" Artemis asked getting out plates.

"... I do..."

"So, ask. Don't be scared to."

Black Arrow sighed.

"How, how did you guys meet?"

Artemis smiled.

"We met in the Park in Gotham City, I was jogging when I saw a woman in trouble. I ran to help her. When I beat most of the thugs Peter showed up. When I saw him, it was like a spark you know, a beautiful spark. I fell in love with him right there."

"Fell in love? With Parker?"

"What? You really don't see how wonderful he is. Helping innocent and weak-"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Artemis looked at Balck Arrow to study her reaction. Black Arrow may be from another dimension but she was just like her.

"You're saying that because you like him." Artemis said with a smile.

Black Arrow's eyes opened wide.

"NO-"

"Stop lying to yourself, kid. You're even worse at lying than Jessy and Alice."

Black Arrow was quiet after that. When dinner was done girls came down and were ready to eat.

"God, it smells great mom," Alice said hugging her mom.

"You're acting like that to not get grounded for nearly killing yourself today. Aren't you?"

"Me?! Can't I just hug my mommy."

Artemis looked at Jessica who was trying so hard not to laugh.

"What did she do?"

"She-she's trying to get you on her side before dad comes back home."

Artemis frowned at Alice.

"I got C+ at my chemistry test today."

Artemis laughed and hugged Alice back.

"My poor baby. You're doomed."

"Jessy too..."

Jessica stopped laughing and quickly rushed to the door.

"Why?"

"She got C- at her Vietnamese test." Alice said looking at her sister with an evil smile.

"Jessy..." Artemis started but thanks to Jessy's luck Peter walked in.

"Sweety I'm home!"

Jessy hugged her dad.

"Daddy, help me."

Peter warped his arms around his daughter protectively.

"Mom wants to kill me."

Peter looked at his wife and saw how mad she was. After that, he looked at Black Arrow who was trying not to laugh.

"Glad to see you're smiling kiddo. Care to tell me what happened here?"

"They got bad grades. She from Vietnamese test and she from chemistry test." Black Arrow said pointing at both girls.

Peter looked down at Jessica.

"So, I guess you are trying to hide so your mother won't kill you, huh?"

Jessica smiled and nodded. Peter gave her a kiss on the forehead and walked up to his wife and Alice.

"Come on Arty, don't you remember how it was when we were in high school? Cause I sure do remember when you got F and you were trying to calm down your mother using me as a shield. AND I am still waiting for that cake you promised me to bake after I protected you from twenty eggs your mother throw at you couple years ago."

"Grandma was throwing eggs at you because of a bad grade?!" Alice yelled shocked.

"I can't image grandma in her wheelchair throwing eggs at you mom." Jessica said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I can-" Black Arrow said putting plates on the table.

"But in my dimension, I didn't have a human shield."

Artemis smiled at her.

"See, another point to try to give him a chance and believe me there's plenty more." She said and kissed her husband.

"Wait, in your dimension, you're not with dad?" Alice asked.

Black Arrow looked away with a blush.

"No, I'm not..."

"Oh, that's weird." Jessy said walking closer to her family.

"Why?"

"Cause these two can't get away from one another." Jessy pointed at her parents.

"Yeah, just like you and-" Alice spoke but Jessica put her hand on Alice's mouth to shut her up.

"Just like Jessy and who?" Peter said frowning at Jessy.

"Oh, um, nobody dad... oh god what hour is it, I think I need to go on patrol with Susan."

Jessy rushed to her room and before Peter could catch up to her she already escaped through the window. Peter sighed and looked at his wife.

"She is so grounded when she gets home."

Artemis only smiled and went to Black Arrow while Peter was trying to 'interrogate' Alice.

"I was thinking if you could go to the garden with me, after dinner of coures."

"Why?"

"I want to talk to you alone, who can better help you with figuring out your feelings then yourself?"

Black Arrow sighed and nodded.

"Great, now come on I bet you're starving."

Two blondes went to the dining room where Peter and Alice were waiting with their food.

"What took you two so long? We're starving here." Peter said with a smile.

"Oh really?" Artemis said and pointed at Alice who was nearly done with her dinner.

The fifteen-year-old looked at her mother and smiled innocently.

"What about Jessy?" Black Arrow asked.

"She'll come back after an hour or so, don't worry."

After the dinner, Black Arrow was sitting on the bench waiting for Artemis who needed to take something from the bedroom.

"I hope Peter's alright, Osborn is a maniac but Parker always has a plan... He's probably home already, happy about me disappearing... is he?"

"Gee kid, I know I easily get lost in thoughts but I'm trying to wake you from that trans for two minutes." Artemis said with a chuckle.

"Sorry, I was thinking about-"

"Peter."

"Maybe..." Black Arrow said with a blush.

"I brought this, I think it'll help."

Artemis showed Black Arrow a big book.

"What's that?"

"Let's say it's 'my family story'." Artemis said opening the book.

There were pictures of her and Peter, one on the left shows them building a snowman in the park and there was the second one on the right showing Ali and Jessy were about five years old, they were building a snowman with Artemis while Peter was hugging her with a black hat on his head and carrot in his mouth.

"After Jessy and Ali came here, Peter and I made this book with photos. On every left page, there is a photo of me and Peter before I gave birth to girls and on the right photos in the same places as the photos on the left but with two little devils." Artemis said with a huge smile on her face.

Black Arrow was changing the pages fast, she was surprised that on every single photo, Artemis had a true smile and a spark in her eyes.

"The way you look on this photos... so happy, not worrying about anything. How?" Black Arrow said looking at Artemis.

"The answer is on all the photos in there."

Black Arrow looked down again, she couldn't believe Parker would make her feel like that... like she is the most important thing in the world... like she can be happy, not thinking about her past or not thinking about the future.

"Maybe I could give him a chance..."