Here we are another chapter. I know we're all emotionally distraught but hey this one is happy :) Yay me for writing happy! Pats self on back. On that note I do plan to finish up all my other stories to the best of my abilities and even with that terrible ending I will continue to support the fandom. So let me thank all the kind people who reviewed the last chapter :)

andrea-ninja-girl: Thank you for the review :)

Samian: Sorry to make you sad. This one shot to make you happy, it's very comforting. Thanks for the review :)

Codby: I'm sorry you cried :( But I promise this story will make you feel better. Thanks for the support.

Guest: I don't think there is an extra bonus chapter - that might refer to another story. Sorry to disappoint. But I will continue working on my other stories so you have something to look forward to during these dark times.

sunflower13: Don't cry have some tissues. Have a lot of tissues! Now prepare to be happy because here is a happy chapter!

j9162: I guess we were both wrong about the ending ;_; We wanted a happy ending. Why! Cries. Alright I'm done. Hope this makes you feel better :)

SpitfireChick: Why is angst reality? But this is happy story. Thanks for the review :)

My Own Mayday Parade: Happy story next :) Enjoy!

fixations: I plan to expand on Cellist just need to find the time. Sighs. Where does it all go. Have some more feels if you can handle it :)

Irenerb: Thanks for reviewing :)

Thanks to silent reviewers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters.

Keeping Pace

"Owww," moaned the man in her arms as Artemis, still fully in uniform, dragged the fastest man alive up the emergency stairs of her apartment building.

"Shhh!" She hissed. The slits in his mask narrowed as he glared at her. "Men are such babies."

"Well I wouldn't have an arrow sticking out of my leg if you hadn't shot me."

"Well I wouldn't have shot you if you had just minded your own business. Gotham is my turf." She was sorely to tempted to drop the pain her in ass known as Flash right here but she did not want to explain to the League a) why Flash had been shot in the first place and b) why she had left Flash bleeding out on a flight of stairs one floor below her apartment – they also had that whole help your fellow member credo that she had to follow unless she wanted to be kicked out after working her butt off to join.

The Flash wisely chose to remain quiet, but he did let out an exaggerated yelp when his left leg was banged accidentally (purposefully) against the stair rail. But she honestly had the right to inflict as much pain as humanly possible on the fastest man alive because he had effectively ruined her stakeout. If Artemis had to rate her night out of ten it was ringing in at minus eleven and three quarters. All in all it had been a nightmarish experience – beginning and ending with the accursed crimson lightning.

Ever since joining the League a year ago the red wearing hero had made it his little personal mission to make her life miserable. Apparently he did not like that the spot that had been reserved for his old time friend Red Arrow was taken by her after the guy disappeared following an alleged affair with the criminal Cheshire, her sister – but that was need to know intel and he did not need to know. Long story short she had gotten the opening and his unfathomed wrath. He mostly committed harmless pranks, things that no one could really penalize him for but ultimately made her life that much harder.

That was what tonight had been. A supposedly harmless prank.

Usually she could count on the Bat family to lend some support but there was some big gala benefit they had to protect, like those plushy Wayne Corp functions needed superhero protection. Bruce Wayne had more security then a schizophrenic. Anyways it had been her, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, and Ivy squared off in a corner and she really wanted to reach the punch line of the rather cruel joke. But when she had let loose an arrow from her quiver that instead of releasing polyurethane foam had instead covered her in some sort of itching powder Artemis was not amused. In fact, when the rather sheepish red hero raced onto the scene moments later (most likely because he'd been watching everything unfold from a safe distance) blurting out a string of incomprehensible apologies as Harley kicked her in the ribs, because she couldn't stop itching. She might have found his concessions a little endearing if she could breathe and think concurrently.

Ironically, the Flash had been equally clumsy at taking on the psychopaths. By the time she could finally even attempt to grab her bow again, even though her arms with crawling with itches she couldn't scratch he was literally just zipping around trying to stop himself from getting hit by vines, fear gas and gags. Which had led to his rather unfortunate meeting with one of the arrows she was using to try and pin Scarecrow to the wall.

"Why didn't you use a polyurethane arrow?" moaned the speedster as she tried to sneak quietly down the hall of the twelfth floor. "You shot me with a goddamn arrowhead."

"In my defense, asshole, I did not know you were going to be there," she seethed. "The obvious reason being my eyes cannot track the movements of someone running at the speed of sound. Second, someone made me wary to try and use my trick arrows again. I'll give you three guesses who." Flash huffed crossing his arms as successfully as could be done by someone who had their arm around someone else's shoulders. "The better question should be," Artemis continued, "why am I dragging you to my apartment when you could go to a hospital or the League like a normal person." Even with his face half covered the frown and agitation that radiated off him at those two suggestions was enough for Artemis to sigh and fiddle in her uniform pockets for her keys.

Stumbling inside she groaned as the man slumped heavily against her. "Seriously." She bit out dragging him over the couch. "You'd think I had shot you twice." He winced as she placed him on the couch.

"Don't run off," she smirked walking towards to bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit.

"You're hilarious," he deadpanned. Adjusting the cushions around himself, he propped his leg up on the coffee table trying to get comfortable. It actually looked pretty ridiculous, his costume clashed horribly with her green sofa. "Hey got any food."

Artemis tossed the first aid kit on the table. "And why pray tell would I feed you?"

"Because this is going to hurt like hell." He ran a gloved hand down his face wincing at the scissors she used to cut the uniform around the protruding object.

"Will you quit whining," she sighed using an alcohol swab to remove the crusted blood. "It was a clean shot. I just have to yank it out and stitch you up and – " Artemis's words died in her throat as she stared at the completely healed skin knitted around the shaft of her arrow. "What the?!"

"This is why I can't go to the hospital my powers result in a hyper accelerated metabolism which allows me to heal myself. Hard to explain and the League is…well the League just is." He shrugged and Artemis frowned. Her job had just got a million times harder. She should have ditched his injured ass. Now she was going to have to make a bigger injury to retrieve her arrowhead or he was going to be stuck with a dangerous, pointy object embedded in his skin and muscle for life. It would make going through airport security a pain. He appeared to resign himself grabbing a pillow. "I don't suppose that first aid kit has some sort of heavy medication."

"Would it do much good?" she asked. It seemed like if you were going to sedate a speedster you were going to need an elephant sized portion of morphine and all she had was Advil.

"No. Probably not." He paused pillow halfway to his mouth as he watched her look for a scalpel in the kit. "I'm sorry by the way. I totally crossed a line with your arrows."

"Can we talk about this later? I think reminding the person who's about to cut you open that you totally are the cause of this entire disaster will not work in your favor. Even if they feel a little guilty for shooting you." Flash got a soft smile on his face and gently reached out brushing his fingertips against her cheek before pulling away. She might not have even registered it if he hadn't done it so slowly.

He let loose a forced chuckle. "Alright I'm sedated doctor go ahead." He placed the pillow in his mouth and bit down on it hard screwing his eyes shut. Artemis shook her head resting the freezing scalpel against his skin. How long would it take before this wound would heal too? Would she have enough time to get the arrow out before the injury was again closed? "What are you doing?" croaked Flash around the pillow peeking an eye open. "Aren't you going to – YEOUCH!"

Hand around the shaft of the arrow she quickly pulled upward once she had cut to the appropriate depth and length. Inspecting the arrow she was thankful the entire arrowhead was still intact; she did not want to have to go tearing through his tissue to find any pieces.

"Have you ever heard of a woman's gentle touch?" he moaned pinching the skin at the wound together to aid the healing process.

"Must have missed that class," she responded airily tossing the arrow on the table. "Too busy focused on first aid. My mistake."

"First aid, sure," he snapped sarcastically wheezing and gritting his teeth.

"Want me to kiss it better, baby?" Much to her shock she didn't even wait for an answer before pushing her hair over her shoulder so she could lean forward and press her lips against his warm skin and tense fingers. "All better?" Much to her extreme satisfaction the part of his face she could see was red and the color was crawling down his neck following her little gesture. "Good. Now go home."

"I," he squawked shakily before trying again. "I don't think I can right now." "No?" she questioned her voice hinting at minor annoyance. "Not even to a zeta tube."

"No," he affirmed. "Want to heal right and all that." Artemis sent him a look of disbelief.

"Right…"

"Right," he said cheerily sprawling across the couch, his dirty shoes pressing into the armrest. Artemis was sorely tempted to tell him to just go away and get off her couch and out of her apartment but it was way too late and she was way too tired so she just threw a pillow at his head and stalked away to bed.

"Night!" he called.

"Go to hell!"

"Already there."

When she woke up the man on her couch was gone and so was everything in her fridge, pantry and cupboards except for a packet of stale instant oatmeal. Hell. Figures. Guess he was hungry. However, there were, miraculously, bills on the table too of the money variety – apparently compensation for his binge. But she had no idea where he kept his wallet in that skintight spandex – and she only wanted to know out of sheer curiosity.

"Hey babe how's tricks?" whispered a voice seductively by her ear and Artemis's ill-timed swap landed harshly right on the side of her head. "I know you think you're hallucinating but it's me in person. You don't need to hit yourself."

Artemis sent him an even look her ears ringing. "What are you doing here?"

"The League sent me."

"You. Out of everyone in the League they sent the one person who I can't stand."

"Can't stand, can't live without – such a fine line." Artemis rolled her eyes looking through her binoculars.

"The League didn't send you, did they?"

"Hey things were slow in Central."

"So then why don't you go bother," she paused trying to remember the new identity of the original Robin, "Nightwing. Go bother him or better yet Roy. Go bother him."

Flash made a face then puffing out a breath of air, "I'm trying to be nice here."

"Try somewhere else." Clearly that gave him entirely the wrong idea because he got this insipidly stupid look and zipped off without word. "I feel like I'm going to regret that." She said to the night. She did regret it when she opened her apartment door to find Flash lounged out on her sofa assorted take out containers littering her once pristine floor.

"HOW!?"

"Vibrations, babe. I can totally rock your world if you want."

"If you ever call one of my jokes lame I totally reserve the right to laugh in your face that was awful." She started pulling off and stashing her gear. An idiot in her apartment was not going to completely ruin her night.

"Philistine," he said around a mouthful of food.

"I'm waiting."

"For what?" He asked stretching his arms over his head.

"Your excuse. Is the Bat Cave being repainted or something? What are you doing here?"

"Payback," he grinned holding out a disturbingly untouched box of take out. "Not every hero would have helped me." She looked warily at the box, receiving untouched food from someone who clearly ate a lot of it naturally made her suspicious that it was somehow going to kill her. "Come on. They're home fries. Everybody loves home fries."

He was watching the game, the Gotham Giants versus the Star City Sparklers, and she didn't sense any malicious intent from him. She was dead tired and food sounded so good right now.

"I'll be right back. Don't touch my food." The man cocked his head but otherwise turned back to the TV at least until she reentered the room having changed out of her uniform into a pair of skinny jeans and tank top.

"WHOA!" he exclaimed all of sudden sitting up very straight. "You're…wow…" He paused biting the inside of his cheek. "Are you sure you should be revealing your appearance so easily.

"I'm not going to hide in my own house. If you don't like looking at me get out."

"Not so much not looking," he fumbled scratching at his neck and pulling at the spandex. "It's where to look."

"And you say you get around," she smirked. She kicked his feet off the table so she could sink onto the couch. "Pass me the take out. It better be greasy and disgusting or I will be very disappointed."

"Has anyone ever told you you're the perfect woman?" Artemis smirked.

"What are you doing on my couch," she stated as opposed to questioned the third time he snuck into her apartment.

"Seducing you," he crowed and for a guy she didn't even know the name of he was doing a pretty good job. Being a hero didn't exactly give you a bad physique and the red haired man (curse her weakness for that color) was giving her a pretty good view. He'd stopped wearing his uniform after his second unexpected visit, probably to keep the status quo since she had already ditched her uniform as well.

"How do you think it's going so far?"

"Pretty good. Since you can't look away, babe." The man chortled flexing. Artemis rolled her eyes walking pass the couch, purposefully sashaying her hips and when she turned she wore a self-satisfied smirk.

"Who can't look away now, babe."

"Womanly wiles. It's a survival mechanism you exploit."

"You are just a sore loser," she teased automatically turning on the kettle and getting two cups. "I should have you arrested for breaking and entering."

"Seems counterproductive."

"Whatever Flash." It was weird that she still didn't know the man's name even after all his random appearances throughout the last few months. He had even stopped wearing his costume around her but he was still just the Flash and she was still just Artemis and she had to admit it was kind of nice.

"So I was thinking…" He took the prepared coffee presented to him, two creams two sugars. Artemis stood hip out, cup halfway to her mouth waiting for him to continue. "Er, there's probably some chick-flicky romantic comedy on right now," he gestured helplessly at the TV, "and there hasn't been a disaster yet so maybe we could…"

"What is the name?"

"Of what?" He asked innocently twiddling his thumbs and rapidly stamping his feet so a soft never-ending patter filled the room.

"This movie you so desperately want to see that you are wearing a hole in my carpet."

"Who says I want to see it?" He defended weakly eyes flickering towards the TV, as the chiming of the hour approached. "I'm just saying there could be something on and I'm here you're here." He gestured between them shrugging, "watching movies alone is kind of boring."

"I wouldn't know. I can't seem to be alone. At all." They just sort of stared at each having reached an impasse in the conversation. Then his communicator went off, vibrating against the table, and the moment was broken.

"I gotta take this," he sighed standing reluctantly. Spinning rapidly he morphed into his costume before her eyes, a mini tornado of red. At some point her hair had flown into her face so she didn't see but felt his lips press against her cheek and hear him whisper. "Back in a flash, babe." Before he was gone and Artemis was left standing there heart pounding, her mind shutting down. Funny thing was when she turned on the TV a few moments later the movie that was playing was some sort of Romeo & Juliet ninja love story – how did he know?

"Hey Artemis!" Artemis's head snapped toward him from the console she was monitoring on the Watchtower. He was standing there kind of smirking with this adorable little stance and, God, he was infuriating.

"So the person herself," said a blast of wind circling her before, Kid Flash, stopped short beside his mentor. "Been hearing a lot about you."

"Stuff it, Kid." The crimson lightening groaned playfully shoving his protégé. "Brat this is Artemis. Artemis this is Brat."

The boy rolled his eyes, clearly in on the inside joke while she was left very much confused, before running forward to rapidly shake her hand. "I'm his first cousin from the future." Artemis blinked, stared and looked at the man as he slammed his palm against his forehead.

"Future?"

"Yeah. Time travel and all that. Totally crash."

"Okay, Kid," said Flash yanking his sidekick back. "That is on a need to know basis."

"If you're dating her she needs to know." Kid Flash fired back smirking, clearly enjoying tormenting his beloved mentor.

"Wha-bu-dating?!" sputtered the hero and Artemis might have enjoyed the way the only visible part of his face turned the same shade as his costume if she wasn't also part of this mess. "Who said we were! I never said…"

"Oh please," smirked the rather impish youngling waving him off and then proceeding to make kissing noises. "Oh she's so hot. Mmmmm. Look at her maneuver that arrow."

"I never said that," he gesticulated helplessly as he tried to shove the boy away. "Go look for Blue or something. Just go away!"

"Before you embarrass yourself out the League," the smaller boy quipped. "Got it." Then he was gone racing off somewhere to do something leaving a very flustered Flash behind and an equally embarrassed Artemis.

"That was a terrible joke," she commented, "'maneuver that arrow,' really?"

"I never said that." She quirked an eyebrow and Flash gestured fruitlessly after his partner. "Come on don't take the kid seriously. He says he's from the future. He's crazy."

"He sounds more mature then you."

"He's thirteen. It's impossible." Artemis shook her head as she returned to monitor duty.

"I hear Red Arrow is finally joining the team." She commented idly.

"Yeah. But he isn't replacing you, you know. He brings his own talents."

"He doesn't let you crash on his couch?" She assumed that Flash rolled his eyes, since she couldn't see them.

"Artemis we're different. You and me we're a team." Which was sort of true they had been working together a lot more. Forming a rhythm of movements where they could read each other and depend on the other to be there. They were starting to get a reputation. Which wasn't a huge problem for her – it was the other rumor that was swirling around about them being an item. That wasn't all in all a terrible idea but…but… she was running out of reasons not to.

"Babe?"

"We totally clash, both literally," she said pinching her costume between her fingers and pointing exaggeratedly at his obnoxious red spandex, "and figuratively."

Flash looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

"O-kay…" he smirked coyly. "Want to help me patrol?" He offered her a hand.

"You really go at your own pace don't you?" she sighed taking the hand as Hawkwoman came to relieve her of duty. She ignored the wink from the winged woman.

"Always babe. Where's the fun if I don't lead?"

Artemis moaned shoving harshly at the weight on top of her. She was trying to remember what happened. She'd been on patrol – alone like an idiot – and there had been an explosion. Well there must have been an explosion she was a little fuzzy on the details but she could tell from the debris pressing into her back that something pretty disastrous must have happened.

The thing above her was pressing down fiercely and it was soft and warm and – human! Yes. Very much human as she cracked her eyes open to blink blearily at the red substance coating her fingers. Blood. The person above her was bleeding. But it had been an abandoned warehouse it didn't make sense for a person to be there.

"Artemis…" croaked the figure above her and Artemis struggled to remember if she had been on patrol with anyone. No the answer was definitely no. She'd been alone. It was clearly someone who knew her that was hovering above her and speaking so earnestly. Her mind ran through the list of possibilities.

"Flash?!"There was a groan.

"In the flesh."

"No, fuck. You're bleeding out." This was accompanied by another groan and a shift which forced his half masked face into her field of vision.

"Hey babe."

Artemis glowered jabbing as forcefully as she could in the chest with her elbow. "Hey babe! You're most likely severely injured and all you can say is hey babe?! What are you going to do if you heal wrong?"

The man above her snorted trying to move off her but falling back again. "Well until I get this building off my back, figuratively and literally, I think you'll just have to put up with it."

Artemis narrowed her eyes through her mask. "What were you even doing here?"

"I realized something," Artemis's glare intensified because why were they talking (flirting) when they could be figuring a way out of this mess. "You were going to get crushed by a building and you didn't even know the real name of the love of your life."

"And who is that?" He gave her a toothy grin. Rolling her eyes she reached up and pulled what remained of his cowl back so she could stare into his green eyes.

"I think you know him," he said contemplatively kissing her left cheek. "He's pretty hot." He kissed her right cheek. "Got a great bod and personality." When she snorted he kissed her nose. "Superhero too. Gotta beat the ladies off with a stick." He kissed her forehead lips lingering over a cut she hadn't even known she had till his lips were tingling against the hypersensitive skin.

"Are you getting to a point Flash?" asked Artemis breathlessly as he kissed her eyelids.

"Feisty," he teased he pecked her lips. "But I love that about you." Not nearly satisfied with that lackluster contact Artemis's hands grabbed his chin and pulled his God awful beautiful face towards hers extending the delicious mouth to mouth connection.

"Do you even have a name?" she joked breathing deeply when they finally broke the kiss.

"It's Wallace." He smiled and sunlight broke through as the debris finally shifted and their comrades arrived. "Wallace West."

Maybe red and green didn't clash so terribly.

Please review, comment or critique. I hope I made you smile :)