Big Surprise Chapter 10
It had been three weeks since Dick had gotten shot and was still stuck in the apartment. He was able to move now on his own but his shoulder was still in a sling, along with a cast on his leg, the gun shot in his abdomen had healed which made things easier. But he was starting to drive Artemis insane, she knew him being stuck at home like this would be bad but she didn't know it would be this bad. Luckily she had finally convinced Wally to come and have a bro day or whatever they want to call it with Dick while she and Carson went and visited her mother.
The doorbell rang and Artemis hurriedly answered the door to see a grinning Wally arms full with paper bags. Artemis smiled "It's about time you got here".
Wally just grinned stepping into the apartment "That bad?" he asked setting his bags on the kitchen counter.
Artemis picked up Carson from the floor and said "Oh it's bad if I don't leave this apartment for more than an hour I might actually kill him".
Wally just laughed and said "And here I though you loved him".
Artemis scowled handing Carson to her god father "You know I love him Wally, but you and I both know I'm not meant to spend this much time with just one person for this long".
Wally laughed and said "Don't worry sweetie I won't let mommy and daddy kill each other".
Artemis just scowled and finished packing Carson's diaper bag. Soon Dick came down from upstairs and into the kitchen, he immediately brightened at seeing his best friend "Wally your finally here, it's about time to play some serious video games".
Wally laughed and said "Yes and give your girlfriend a break from your constant boredom of being stuck in the apartment".
Dick smiled sheepishly and turned to Artemis "Sorry babe".
Artemis just smiled and quickly kissed him on the lips before she took Carson from Wally kissing him on the cheek "Thanks Wally, I'll leave you two for your bro date. I'll be home by dinner babe" Artemis kissing Dick again.
"It's not a date Arty" Wally called after her.
Artemis just smiled stepping into the elevator "Whatever you say" she called back as the door closed.
Taking a deep breath she enjoyed the quiet moment with her daughter. She loaded Carson into her car and drove to Gotham to visit her mother. After the hour drive she finally pulled into the parking lot of the hospital her mother was in and got Carson out of her seat loaded her into her stroller. Once inside the building Artemis stuck her head in her mother's room to see her sitting up in bed and awake, but she didn't look much better, in fact she looked worse than the last time they had seen her. Artemis pushed the stroller into the room and said "Hey mom".
Paula instantly brightened at seeing her daughter and granddaughter "Artemis, it's so good to see you and Carson. How's Dick?"
Artemis smiled picking Carson up and setting her in her mother's arms kissing her cheek "He's doing okay, he still has to wear a sling and a cast but he can move now more easily. But he's driving me insane, that boy does not do well to be stuck up in a house like that. So I called Wally and there having a bro date while Carson and I came to visit you".
Paula laughed "I don't think any male on this planet handles being stuck in a house like that. So Wally handled all of this pretty well?'
"It was hard at first, but Wally can't stay mad at Dick when he's hurt, and there best friends I don't think they'll ever let a girl get between them. Plus Wally is dating a new girl now so it made things a little easier" Artemis said watching Carson play with Paula's thinning hair.
Paula smiled and kissed the little girls head "Well it's good that their still friends. How have you been since the accident?"
Artemis looked down at her lap "I'm fine now that Dick is healing and is out of the clear. But the first couple of days were pretty scary even when he came home. I've never been more scared mom" Artemis said fighting back the tears.
Paula smiled softly and said "It's okay to be scared Artemis, I was scared every time you left the apartment to go work with the team, and every time you got a single scratch I had to fight the tears. It just means that you love and care for him sweetie".
Artemis smiled "I really do love him, even though we've only been together for five weeks I really love him I can't imagine life without him or Carson in it".
Paula smiled sadly "My baby is growing up".
"Oh mom don't cry you'll make me cry. Carson really likes you, it's funny every time Ollie holds her he becomes so stiff and up tight that Carson ends up crying" Artemis said smiling.
Paula laughed "I'm guessing he's never been around babies. What's the man going to do when he and Dinah have a baby?"
Artemis shrugged "Most likely faint. He's getting used to her now and doesn't freak out as much when she cry's, whenever she cry's he always gets this terrified face like he broke her or something".
Paula laughed "And how is Dick with her?"
"Dick is amazing with her, he's a great father" Artemis said with a large smile.
Paula smiled "I'm happy for you sweetie. You have made me so proud Artemis".
Artemis smiled squeezing her mom's hand "Have you heard from Jade?"
Paula sighed and said "Not in a couple of weeks, have you?"
"No I haven't heard from her or dad, which is never a good thing. I don't want Carson meeting dad" Artemis said pulling out Carson's teething rings so that she would stop chewing on her fingers.
Paula stroked Carson's hair and said "I know you don't sweetie but he's going to find out about her sooner or later, and we both know he'll want to see her. Just make sure you keep her with you or Dick at all times or with people you know you can trust".
Artemis nodded her head "Dick and I have talked about it, he knows there's a possibility of him showing up at some random moment and were both prepared for it".
"Good just promise me you'll be careful Artemis, I don't want anything happening to you or Carson" Paula said.
Artemis smiled "Don't worry mom we'll both be fine. But I worry about you mom, what if he comes here you can't even defend yourself".
Paula smiled "I'll be fine sweetie, your father won't try anything while I'm in here, he would never do anything with so many people around".
Artemis nodded her head "Are you hungry mom, I could order some pizza and have it delivered?"
Paula smiled "That sounds perfect; I could go with a break from the hospital food".
Artemis smiled and pulled out her phone calling the old pizza place they used to go to when they lived together in Gotham. Twenty minutes later Carson sat in her stroller eating some cheerios while Artemis and Paula ate their pizza talking and laughing.
Once they were done eating and Artemis was feeding Carson her baby food Paula sighed and said "I really wish I could make some Cao lau with Pho and Goi cuon".
Artemis smiled "Your favorite Vietnamese food. I could make you some and bring it to you. I know the recipes by heart by watching you so much as a kid".
Paula smiled widely and said "I would love that sweetie".
Artemis smiled and cleaned off Carson's face handing the little girl her favorite stuffed animal. "I haven't made any Vietnamese food in a really long time; I'll have to test it out on Dick first before I bring it to you".
Paula laughed "It's in your blood người yêu you'll do just fine".
Artemis smiled "nhờ mẹ. It's been a really long time since I've used Vietnamese".
Paula smiled "You should teach it to Carson, keep the tradition going, I know Jade was teaching Lian".
Artemis smiled "I think that's a great idea mom".
For the rest of her visit the two talked back and forth in Vietnamese, Artemis was a little rusty but it was still fun to speak her mother's first language with her. Carson had fallen asleep in her stroller cuddling her stuffed animal. When the sun started setting Artemis decided she had probably start heading home.
"It's getting late and I should probably head home make sure Wally and Dick haven't completely destroyed the apartment" Artemis said.
Paula smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand "Drive safe mật ong, Tôi yêu bạn".
Artemis smiled and bent down to hug her mom kissing her cheek "Tôi yêu bạn để mẹ".
Artemis gently pushed the stroller out of the hospital trying not to wake Carson and headed towards her car. When she got the apartment Dick and Wally were on the couch playing the new Halo game, but when they came in they turned the game off and Wally ran over to Carson picking her up. Artemis smiled and flopped down on the couch next to Dick kissing his cheek. "How was your bro date?"
Dick shook his head "Fine, played video games talked inappropriately, ate a bunch of candy, drank some beer".
Artemis laughed and patted his still flat and toned stomach "You keep eating crap like that and you won't be able to get off the couch".
Dick laughed and asked "How was your visit with you mom?"
"Good I told her I would make her some Vietnamese food and take it to her, but I haven't made it in a long time so I'm going to experiment on you first" Artemis said.
Dick looked at her nervously "Umm I don't know if I like Vietnamese food".
Wally came and sat on the couch next to him setting Carson in Dick's lap "If you're cooking Vietnamese I'm totally coming over for dinner".
Artemis laughed "Okay I'll test it out on you then".
Wally cheered "Yes I've been dyeing to eat your cooking Arty".
Dick grinned at Carson "Your uncle Wally might be an adult now but he still eats like a pig".
Carson giggled while Wally scowled. "I should get going it's getting late and I have to work tomorrow" Wally stood up and so did Dick and Artemis, Wally kissed her cheek and gave Dick a man hug before kissing Carson's head and saying "I'll see you later pipsqueak". Wally left the apartment as Dick and Artemis took Carson upstairs to bed.
Once Carson was asleep Dick and Artemis went to their bedroom and lay in bed with Artemis' head on Dick's chest listening to his strong steady heart beat "Tôi yêu bạn".
Dick grinned and said "Was that Vietnamese?"
"Yeah" Artemis said rolling onto her stomach and holding her head up with her hand so she could look at him.
"You haven't spoken Vietnamese in a long time?" Dick said playing with her hair.
"I want to teach it to Carson" Artemis said.
Dick nodded his head "I think that would be perfect babe" Dick said smiling. "What exactly was that you said?"
Artemis smiled "I meant I love you".
Dick grinned "I love you to" Artemis kissed him again before resting her head on his chest and quickly falling asleep listening to his heartbeat.