AQUAMAN! WHY ARE YOU SO HARD TO WRITE! It frustrates me. *grumbles*

Sorry for any OOC-ness in this chapter. Aquaman proved to be more difficult then i expected. *sigh* Anyway, please enjoy the story and tell me what you think.

I love constructive criticism :)

L.L.A.P

~Laces

Chpt.11

Athena was nervous about meeting Aquaman when Conner told her that he would be stopping by. She didn't know how she should act in front of him because he was a king and La'gaan always referred to him in a very formal way, and not to mention that he probably knew she couldn't swim. Would he not like her like La'gaan didn't like her because of that?

Conner noticed her shaking slightly as she sat on the couch, stroking Wolf's side.

"Athena, you have nothing to worry about." Conner said gently and Athena looked over at him with worry.

"But what if he doesn't like me, like La'gaan doesn't like me?" she questioned nervously. She had already met Batman, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary, but none of them loved something she absolutely feared.

"Aquaman and La'gaan are very different people." Conner informed. "There's no need for you to be nervous about-"

The computer voice sounded, informing about Aquaman's presence in Mt. Justice.

"Come on." He said gently, and Athena stood from the couch and followed Conner timidly into the room where Aquaman was waiting.

She laid eyes on the tall, muscular blond man. He looked at her with a small smile.

"Hello minnow." He said warmly, and Athena's nerves were slightly put at ease. The way Aquaman called her Minnow somehow didn't seem as condescending as when La'gaan called her it.

"Hello Aquaman." She said, and despite how she was more calm than before, her voice came out in a small squeak.

Aquaman approached the girl, and even though he didn't show it, he was just as nervous as she was. He never had much interaction with a child, and this would be a crash course in being a father. He was going to have to become one sooner or later with the baby on its way.

"Shall we talk outside. I have been told that you enjoy the beach." Athena mutely nodded and followed the man outside, looking behind her shoulder to see Conner staying behind but he gave her an encouraging smile.

As Athena followed the tall Atlantian, he questioned,

"Have you been swimming in the ocean since you got here?" Athena shook her head remorsefully.

"No. I can't swim." She informed, and the King looked at her, baffled.

"Cannot swim? But you are part Atlantian, you have the sea in your blood." He stated and she looked at him sadly.

"I've tried, but every time I have, I came close to drowning." She said with a frown, thinking about the dream she had the night before and cringed.

Aquaman noticed her fear, and questioned,

"Has anyone ever tried to teach you how to swim?" Athena shook her head, and Aquaman smiled.

"Then that is the problem. Nobody can learn how to swim without help." He gently grasped Athena's hand and started to pull her to the water. "I will teach you." He informed.

Athena was wearing shorts and a black t-shirt. It wouldn't be hard for her to swim in, but when Aquaman started to pull her closer and closer to the ocean, she quickly pulled her hand away from his, and backed away slowly.

She was shaking and Aquaman's eyes widened.

"Athena, you have nothing to fear from the water." He informed gently.

"Yes I do." Athena whispered. "I'll drown. I always drown." Aquaman walked over to the girl and knelt in front of her.

"You do not need to go into the water if you do not wish to, Athena." He then sat on the beach, and patted the sand next to him, inviting Athena to take a seat.

"Athena, what do you like about the beach?" he inquired.

"The sun." she answered with a small smile. "I really like the sun."

A small conversation was struck up between the two, and Athena listened to the tales that Aquaman had from Atlantis, and what it was like there.

"It sounds like a beautiful place." Athena whispered. She could only imagine the vivid colors of the ocean coral and fish, and the beautiful underwater city. However, that was Athena's drawback. It was underwater.

"I will take you there some day, when you know how to swim." Aquaman smiled, but Athena frowned.

"I will never be able to swim." She sighed. Aquaman shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Athena, do not ever tell yourself that you will not be able to do something, just because you cannot do it now." He smiled at her. "And I believe that even though you are afraid of the water now, when you get older, you will be swimming like you have been living in the water for years."

Athena's frown turned into a small smile and she giggled a bit.

"It's going to take me years if I am ever going to get the ability of swimming down." Aquaman chuckled, but his communicator sounded.

"I must go." He informed as he stood to his feet, Athena following in suit. "Trouble in Japan, but it has been a pleasure getting to know you."

"You too." She said with a smile, and Aquaman ran off, leaving Athena on the beach.

She looked out at the ocean. The more she looked at it, the more it seemed to scare her. It scared her, because it looked so beautiful, as if it were tempting her to just take a step in. However, she knew that if she did, she could and would drown.

"One day I'll learn how to swim." she whispered, but shook slightly when she heard a wave crash loudly against the sand. "… just not today."

Athena made her way back inside, but as she started to enter the room, she bumped into Blue Beetle.

"Hola Amiga." He smiled, helping her up to her feet.

"Hola." She giggled. She picked up whatever little pieces of Spanish Blue Beetle would say fairly easily.

"Did you talk to Aquaman today?" he inquired, and Athena sighed.

"Yeah. He tried to teach me how to swim, but I was too afraid to get into the water." She informed, but Blue Beetle gave her a warm smile.

"Don't dwell much on it, Chica. It's-"

"Team! Meeting in the Mission room now!" Nightwing exclaimed with urgency, and Blue Beetle went flying off.

Athena stayed in place. This had happened before, and she knew that when there was a mission, she was to stay out of the way for everyone to run where they needed to be.

Athena walked upstairs to her room, and sat on the bed tiredly, despite the fact that she had just gotten up a few hours ago.

"When you walk through a storm hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark." She found herself singing softly. She seemed to always have an Elvis song in her song.

However, she quickly stopped singing, and walked downstairs with Ralph in tow. She headed back out to the beach, and stood in front of the ocean.

It bugged her how she felt like a failure all the time. She was angry that she was letting her fear get the best of her and she never felt the emotion of anger very often.

"You CANNOT be thinking about going in there again!" Ralph exclaimed, and Athena shook her head, placing the bear on the spot where she stood.

"I'm not going to. I'm going to take small steps, Ralph. But I don't want you getting wet, so wait here for me, okay?" she questioned.

"Okay. Just stay safe." Athena slowly made her way closer to the water, and then stood where she saw the waves slowly licking at the sand, and stood still.

Her hair stood on end when the water fizzed and passed her feet, and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for something horrible to happen.

And then, the water pulled back out to the ocean, not pulling her with it.

She opened her eyes and watched as the cool water receded, and then it came back up, lightly rushing around her ankles.

She felt joy swell up in her stomach, and she turned around to look at Ralph.

"I DID IT RALPH!" she exclaimed happily. "I did it! I-I'm not a failure. I can do this!"

Athena didn't have time to realize her feet weren't touching the ground. She was knocked unconscious before she was able to realize she was floating.