This piece takes place after "Performance", a few hours after Roy declares there was no mole.
Author's Emergency Note: Sorry if I have to keep reposting several chapters. Something is wrong with my computer, so the history might screw up and erase a chapter. I just received a new computer, which is still functioning in a weird way, so I have to wait until my uncle visits from Vegas for Easter to see if he can stop the history deleting new chapters. In the meantime, please don't complain about it. Whining gets you nowhere.
Gotham City was cold, snowy, and gentle. Lights brought color and detail to building, houses, and apartments; Christmas trees watched over the people walking around finishing their shopping; and bars vibrated with parties, toasts, and laughter.
To one girl, this Christmas was simply exhausting.
Artemis walked from the old telephone booth, climbed up the fire escape, and opened her window. The heat and warmth from her room prickled over her cheeks, and her arms prickled in goose-bumps. She slid into her room, removed her boots and costume, changed into her pajamas and sweatpants, socks, and bathrobe, and pulled the sheets off her bed.
It was when she nestled her head against her comforting pillow that she remembered her failure to decorate her apartment-ever since her mother was arrested, the family stopped celebrating Christmas, which they viewed as just a small break from jobs and school. She was initially willing to light up the apartment to bring joy to her mother's cold life, but she was so caught up in the circus act and fighting with Roy that she forgot to borrow decorations and lights.
Knock, knock.
Artemis snapped out of her dreams when she realized someone was watching her. She turned her lamp on and gasped when she saw Roy waving at her behind the window. "Roy," she whispered "What are you doing?"
He cupped his hand around his ear, so she slid the window open and her teeth chattered. "What are you doing here?"
Roy shrugged. "Well, I'm dressed in numerous jackets, a winter coat, and am holding a huge bag in my hands-"
"A bag of what?" the blond interrupted.
Roy shrugged. "Decorations for the holiday?"
Artemis's eyes sharpened when she understood his idea. "I realized that I was a jerk to you when it came to the whole mole thing, so I decided to give back and help out. So can I come in and help you or am I going to stand here freezing to death?"
Artemis pulled up her window higher, and the redhead slid in, flopping down on her sister's bed, and hastily removed his boots and wet coat. His socks were so soaked he reached into the bag and pulled out red fleece socks. "Dinah made them for me," he explained. "I told her I'd wear it every Christmas until I die."
After he finished dressing, he opened her bedroom door and stepped out into the main room. There was little furniture and so much space, which he knew was due to her mother's condition, but he did not seem to mind. Roy reached into the bag and pulled out a pile of Christmas lights. "Artemis, check to see if you have hot chocolate. You need the caffeine to help out with this."
While Artemis began making the cocoa, Roy pulled out a plastic Nativity set, twelve popcorn bags, a small fake tree, two red stockings, and a cookie plate. Art walked in holding the two mugs, which she almost dropped. "Oh my God…how did you-"
"Do you really think I walked all the way from Star City with this crap to come here?" he laughed. "Here-this is a blanket with a teddy bear and angel, Dinah's mother made that for her when she was born. Dinah wanted to give it away because it reminded her too much of her mother, so I decided to give it to you instead." Artemis's mouth opened and she set the mugs down to touch the silky surface-it reminded her of her own mother, and she severely missed her own sister and the holidays before her father came home and said that their mother was not coming home for several years.
Roy ruffled the fake tree, which he put on the coffee table, and added the lights and 'sprinkles of snow' before setting the cookie tray next to it. "Hey, Art, here are popcorn bags, we can add some to the tree and use the rest to make caramel and cheddar popcorn balls."
Artemis's mouth dropped-he had everything to do so?-but she grabbed the bags, ripped off the plastic wrappings, and unfolded the packages, keeping her eye on the man adding lights around the TV stand, the windows, coffee table, doors, and kitchen. He waked to a light switch and flicked it on-Artemis gasped when multicolored lights lit up, adding color and light to the entire space. "My God…I haven't seen this in a long time…" Roy smiled to himself and fished out a teddy bear with a Santa hat to sit near the tree.
The smell of popping corn and butter filled the kitchen and added a smile to Artemis's stern face, and she was glad that her mother did not wake yet. When the microwave quietly beeped, she pulled out the bag, poured the buttery pieces into the bowl, and carried the hot bowl to Roy, who was setting up two figures of beats holding candy canes to hang the stockings over the TV. Artemis felt her eyes swell when she saw the glittered lettering-ARTEMIS and PAULA.
Roy showed her the thread and needles and proceeded to make a small line of popcorn for the tree, occasionally sneaking several pieces into his mouth. Artemis reached for a handful, but Roy instead shoved her a small container. "Chocolate chip cookie dough," he said. "Follow the directions and delight the apartment."
Artemis removed the contents of the oven, scooped dough onto the tray, and watched Roy add caramel and cheddar to different piles of popcorn until the oven slightly beeped. She slid the tray in, set the timer for twenty minutes, and dusted the area until she could tell the cookies were done.
Roy handed her the plate, which she stocked with piles of hot cookies and melting chocolate, and laid it beside the tree and teddy bear. "What else did you bring?" Artemis inquired walking to the bag.
"More crap," he said sliding the needle through the popcorn.
Artemis reached inside and frowned when her hands pulled out a CD player. "What's this for?"
Roy set the needle aside and reached further into the bag until he pulled out small cases and she realized that they were all Christmas CDs of music. "Just for more holiday spirit," Roy explained going back to his 'sewing.' "Here-this is dough for plain cookies, and there is frosting and food coloring, thought you and I could do this together."
Artemis and Roy silently made the dough cookies, mixed food coloring with the different containers of frosting, and added faces, trees, stars, and wreaths, hearts, and music notes. Sometimes Roy would slip a finger into a colored frosting and slide it over Artemis's cheekbone, which caused Artemis to laugh and respond by painting his nose. "Your mom is quite a sound sleeper," Roy commented when they set the cookies down on the tray.
Artemis agreed and pulled out a handful of popcorn when she noticed the many candles surrounding her-long candles, Yankee Candle cookie-scented jars, small ones, and those attached to candle-holders.
"Here, replacement," Roy said handing her a small box. "Merry Christmas."
Artemis unwrapped the red and green paper and her eyes widen. "Wow…" was all that she could manage-an archery care kit with polish, a care cloth to smooth the string and smooth chips, and handle polisher. "I…I don't know what to say…"
"A 'thank you, Merry Christmas' is necessary," Roy laughed.
"Okay, thanks, Merry Christmas," she told the case cover. "All that I can give you is this candy cane mug," she said pushing the cocoa mug towards him.
Roy finished the contents and looked at the clock. "It's five in the morning," he said. "Looks like my job is done…Oh, wait, here is one last thing…" He reached for the last bump in the bag and Artemis saw that it was a video camera case. "I want you to film your mother and you when she wakes up, I want to see her reaction."
Artemis set the kit down and tightly embraced him as if he was a long-lost friend.
Before he left to go back home, he snapped a picture of him and Arty on his cell phone and sent the picture to a blond couple spooning in their warm bed.
Paula wheeled herself to the main room and gasped when her eyes took in the apartment-lights, a small Christmas tree, cookies, the air smelled of cookies, stockings, and decorations and everything she had not seen since the last holiday before her arrest.
"Merry Christmas, Mom!" Artemis waved. Paula jumped when she saw her daughter holding a video camera, and Art laughed. "Happy holidays!"
"Artemis, wow…did you do this all by yourself?"
"No," Artemis said walking towards her mom to kiss her forehead. "I had a friend help me. He felt bad that Dad didn't allow me to celebrate Christmas, so he brought over decorations and food to make this a special holiday."
Paula gripped her daughter's hand and smoothed the blanket. "What's this?"
"That belonged to Dinah," Art said. "He said that her mother made that for her, so he thought he could give it to me so you and I can share it."
Paula's eyes filled with tears and she embraced Artemis as if she was trying to strangle the girl.
Artemis turned on the Christmas music, brought glasses of milk, and she and her mother watched old videos of her and her sister on previous Christmas mornings. "Oh, I remember that time we gave your sister that cat bean bag…You refused to let it go and would kick whoever tried to pull you away," Paula whispered wiping her eye. Artemis laughed watching the younger archer scream when she unwrapped a gift to hold her first toy archery set with suction-cupped arrows.
"I miss those days," Artemis said, "but I'm just happy to be here with you, Mom."
Knock, knock.
Paula paused the video and her daughter walked up to the front door and looked through the peephole. Paula smiled when she saw her daughter's cheek rise and turn to face her. "This is Santa's little helper who left the North Pole to help me," Artemis explained. She opened the door to a muscular redhead in a red jacket, boots, and gray scarf.
"Hey, Art, hey, Ms. Crock," he waved sheepishly.
"Oh yeah, the original Speedy," Paula gasped. "My daughter was obsessed with you in grade school."
Artemis grinned sheepishly and cleared her throat. "So what brings you here?" she asked the redhead.
"I, uh, forgot my cell phone somewhere," Roy explained. "I think I left it in the kitchen-"
"You were in the kitchen?" Paula asked Artemis.
"Yeah, we made cookies and popcorn," Artemis explained pointing to the food. "He helped me with decorating these things."
"Found it," Roy cheered pulling it out. "Now Artemis, remember, Ollie and Dinah and I are coming over tonight for dinner-"
"No," Paula interrupted. "You're staying here for lunch. I truly appreciate your help."
Roy laughed. "Uh, no, thank your daughter for allowing me to do so."
Paula wheeled herself into the kitchen and began a small fish stew, salad with goat cheese, and fruit dish. For beverages, Artemis handed milk out and served half of the cookie tray.
After lunch, Paula wrapped the leftover cookies and handed them to Roy, who shook his head. "Remember? Ollie and Dinah are coming. They always eat something sweet."
They spent the afternoon re-watching the old Christmas videos, and Artemis looked away when Roy would laugh at some of the more comical moments (like when Jade vomited for no reason and the camera focused on three-year-old Artemis ripping up all the paper and biting pillows, or when Paula was bringing in pancakes, but both her daughters jumped up from behind a couch and Paula flung the breakfast all over the couch and her children) when the doorbell ring, followed by a "Ho, ho, ho!"
"When I was younger, Ollie did that all the time and I would either scream or cry," Roy groaned to himself as Artemis opened the door to her mentor and trainer, Ollie holding a small bag ("Remember when I played Santa, Roy, and you were always like 'Santa's beard is white and curly'?") and Dinah cradling a huge pot.
They ate turkey, potatoes, chili (Paula choked and gasped until she found her glass of milk), and wild berry cherry pie before Dinah embarrassed Roy with old Christmas videos of him.
On the screen, Roy ran down to the tree in blanket pajamas and immediately reached for a present. He cheered and shook the gift until Ollie reminded him to wait for Dinah. Even more, Roy groaned when he watched as Dinah made him walk in wearing the pink bunny suit she made after watching A Christmas Story. Artemis shrieked and Ollie choked on his water and clapped, watching his red-face boy glare at the camera, all teary-eyed.
When Artemis left to change into pajamas, Roy met her by the door and held mistletoe over his head. Artemis kissed his cheek and giggled. Ollie and Dinah and Roy did not leave until eleven p.m. and Artemis did not take down the decorations to hide under her sister's bed until after New Year's
Secret: I'm more furious about the comic cancellation simply because I wanted to read the Arrow family story.