AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow okay, so, pretty sure this chapter was boring af and really shit, but I wrote this at 11.30pm without sugar or caffiene. Barely kept my eyes open. So ya know, I tried.

And now, this is the last chapter for a while :( stupid school needing our laptops. Sorry guys, promise Ill update ASAP xx

CHAPTER 14

Charley was laying down on one of the cheap beds at the motel. It was 1 in the morning, and she could feel the lack of sleep and fatigue taking its toll on her. Iris had given her some leftover Thai food after the not-so-covert mission, along with a tea. It hadn't done much, but the thought helped.

Iris had just walked back into the room, carrying a glass of water with her. Charley sat up.

Handing the glass to the wearied girl, Iris sat beside her. 'So, how was your first mission ever?'

Charley finished the glass and placed it on the floor. 'Well, it didn't exactly go as planned if that's what you're asking. I got a sample of the drug that's wreaking havoc, and I've seen the woman behind the business.'

'You've basically solved the whole issue! So how come it didn't go as planned?' Iris wondered out loud.

Charley took in a deep breath. 'It wasn't as covert as it was supposed to be.'

Straightening up, Iris looked at Charley. 'How? Charley, what happened?'

'There was a man, a vigilante, I think. He was taking on the woman who I believe runs the business. She had him pinned down, and I thought she was about to kill him. So, the cat may have stepped in and chased her off.'

Iris just shook her head. 'Please tell me you concealed your identity.'

'Of course!' Charley argued defensively. 'Had the hood on and my sunglasses, there was no way anyone could've identified me or used technology to find out who I was.'

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither one of them really knowing what to say. They'd be back in Central City tomorrow, and they could continue on with everything with the rest of the team. Until then, however, all they could do was talk about their lives and gossip about others'. Which reminded Charley about Dick.

She had thought they'd really connected, and that there was something special between them. Or the alcohol had completely screwed with her head. She had a feeling that she wasn't the first woman he'd 'connected' with her, though. He was a gentleman: charming, charismatic, absolutely stunning from in to the out. But what if that was just his nature? What if he was just a bit of a playboy, a heartbreaker?

She hoped in her heart of hearts that they could make something work between the two of them, but her feline intuition told her this would be difficult. She was so lost in thought that she only heard Iris the second time she asked her.

'Charley!' The girl's head snapped up suddenly, looking to Iris.

'What?'

'I asked you what happened at the club.' Iris said with a casual smile.

Charley's face started to become hot. She still barely knew Iris, but she knew that she'd overreact if she told her she'd met a boy.

'Nothing. Nothing happened.' Gee, way to play it cool, Charley cursed to herself.

If Iris picked up on this, she hid it well. Very well. 'So, you didn't meet anyone interesting? No one memorable.'

Fuck. Charley now knew her face was crimson red, from the tip of her nose to the edges of her ears. Why couldn't she just hid secrets?

Iris' head snapped to look at her, and squinted as she studied her facial and body language. After about 5 seconds of studying, her face lit up in delight in recognition. She smacked Charley's arm.

'You met a boy, didn't you?!' She started giggling.

Charley rubbed her surprisingly sore shoulder, and then shrugged. 'Firstly, ow. Secondly, yeah, but it was nothing.'

Iris nodded, and with an air of sarcasm said, 'Oh yeah, because when a girl is blushing that much after meeting a boy, it was nothing.' She motioned inverted commas with her fingers.

'You got his number, didn't you?' Iris questioned the beetroot-red woman. 'Give me your phone. I want his name, number, address, extra info. Oh, and a picture.'

'Well, that's too bad because I didn't get his address.' Charley started. This hole she'd dug herself in was just getting bigger.

Iris' face lit up like a kid on Christmas Day. 'Oooo, you are oh so unfortunate Cisco gave me the password to the phone.'

Within a matter of seconds, Iris had found Dick's contact information on Charley's phone. She raised an eyebrow while staring at the phone, before she smacked Charley's thigh. Repeatedly.

She looked up with the biggest grin on her face. 'Holy shit, you do realise who this is, right?'

'The guy I met tonight. Yeah, funnily enough I knew that much about him.'

'No, stupid, this is Dick Grayson. He's one of the adoptees of Bruce Wayne! He's been pretty much off the media the last few years, all with him moving to Bludhaven and becoming a mere police officer, but I'm a journo. I've been tracking him, obviously. And since he hit puberty, or since puberty hit him, like a fucking bus, he's been on my three list. You lucky bitch!' iris couldn't wipe the wicked smile off her face.

Charley just raised a suspicious eyebrow. 'Three list?'

'The three men I'm allowed to cheat on whoever I'm dating with.' Iris explained. 'I don't care if he's two years younger than me, he's a hunk. A hottie. A stud. And you got his number! So jealous, right now.'

Charley just shook her head and scoffed. 'Must've been my clothes. Maybe I should introduce you as my makeup artist. Get you some brownie point if we don't work out.' She just laughed as she got a whack from Iris. She was going to wake up with a thousand bruises.

Gently nudging her, Charley smirked at Iris. 'What about you, Miss 'I'm awesome but for some reason I'm single' West? What about your love life?'

Iris tensed at the question. Good going, Charley, the pondering girl asked herself as she mentally punched herself in the face. Eddie, you stupid-head.

Iris just sighed. 'I don't know. I mean, obviously Eddie was a huge part of my life, but…', she trailed off.

'But?' Charley pushed.

'After he sacrificed himself, I obviously had a lot of time to think about my relationships and commitments. Don't get me wrong, Eddie was amazing, and I definitely loved him to an extent.' She just sighed. 'But I'm not sure now if he was the one for me.'

Charley was stunned at this information. From what she'd heard, Iris and Eddie had had a few bumps, sure, everyone does, but they were an amazing couple. And Eddie sounded like an amazing guy; he had, after all, sacrificed himself to save the entire planet from a black hole. And it had taken Iris a long time to even stop heavily mourning him. She'd been smitten. But what've that's all she had been? Smitten, not hopelessly in love?

Charley looked to Iris, and she sensed that there was more to this. Sometimes, she didn't know whether the feline sixth-sense was a gift or curse.

'Do you think you know the person who is?' Charley gently persisted.

She let out a hopeless chuckle, and looked downcast. 'Yeah, I think I do. But we've been back and forth in liking one another. He's liked, no, loved me for God knows how long, and if I'm being entirely honest with myself, I think I have to.'

Charley offered a sympathetic smile after this bittersweet revelation. 'So why aren't you two together?'

Iris returned the smile. 'We have shitty timing. When one of us is single and ready, the other is either in a relationship or not ready for one. We both want the other to just be happy, and it seems that we are the only two people really keeping that eternal happiness from the other.'

'Seems like the two of you are a match made in heaven.' Charley's expression softened even further when she saw that Iris had been moved to small tears trickling down her face. She placed a comforting hand on top of her friend's.

'Hey, when the universe wants to make something happen, like giving a young woman feline powers, or putting two people together, it has a way of figuring those things out.'

Iris looked up at Charley with the most forlorn expression on her face. She wiped her eyes with the end of sleeves of her sweater, before bringing Charley in for a hug. The both of them needed it. It had been a long two weeks. Whoever this guy was, if he made Iris happy, then Charley would do everything in her power to get them together.

Breaking apart, Iris brushed herself off and patted her friend on the back. 'You should get to bed. You must be exhausted, and I'll need you awake for the drive back to Central City tomorrow.'

Charley chuckled. 'Yes, mum.'

The two women giggled as Iris headed to the small kitchenette.

/*/*/*/

Another ten minutes had passed and both girls were snuggled into their own beds. Charley could tell by the soft snoring drifting out of Iris' bed that she was fast asleep. The effects of the tea from earlier still hadn't worn off, so she was just cruising through her Instagram feed. She'd found Dick Grayson's account easily enough, as it had just under 100,000 followers. She sent him a follow request and decided to kill time by listening to her music. After all, she hadn't actually plugged in her earphones and sat peacefully enjoying life for way too long. A guitar riff sounded in her ears as she sunk lower into her bed with contentment. Jesse McCartney, Beautiful Soul. No questions asked.

Getting bored just listening to music, she went into Messages and started texting Dick. He probably wouldn't be awake, and if he was, he'd probably think she was crazy for texting him so llate, but she honestly didn't care.

'Heyy, you up?'

A small smile grew on Charley's face as she saw he was replying.

'Yep. Can't get to sleep, too much alcohol from before, lol. You?'

'Roommate gave me tea when I got back. Too much caffeine now, it's just crazy.'

'Haha, that's the plus of living on your own. Downside is it's no fun :( '

'Haha, yeah. I had fun tonight, by the way. I think we should definitely organise something when I get back to Central City ;) '

':O Central City gal, huh? You're breaking my heart here, Charls /3 You need to move to Bludhaven.'

'Was that just a weird way of you saying you agree that we should see each other again?'

'Babe, it can mean whatever you want it to ;)'

Oh, he was smooth. Charley had to hand that to him.

'Nice on, Grayson. How many girls have you used that on?

'Believe it or not, you're the first. Honest to god truth.'

'I'm touched. Really Dick, you've left an imprint on my heart.'

'Feelings mutual. By the way, just thought I'd let you I wanted to kiss you tonight. I felt a bit whelmed when we didn't'

Charley at first didn't know how to respond. So, he'd had her lips on his as well as his hers. The next that went from her mind to phone surprised her.

'Well, who knows? If we hurry up in organising a, uh, 'catch up' we can get that kissing train on its way.'

'Whoot whoot ;) and without a doubt, especially if I'm in the equation.'

They stayed another hour talking about anything and everything, getting to know one another. They'd said their goodnights, and Charley fell asleep with her phone tucked in closely as songs continued to play. A smile had permanently fastened itself onto her face as she dreamed of the hunk that was Dick Grayson, and the mysterious, charismatic Nightwing. Things were undoubtingly looking up for the young superpowered woman.