[All standard disclaimers apply.]
"Maybe I shouldn't go," Artemis said as she pulled another top from the closet.
"Babe, you're going," Wally said as he sat on their bed, watching her. "No, not that one."
"What? Why?" she asked, turning to face him. "I thought you liked this shirt one."
"You look too good in it. You'll be beating off guys trying to buy you a drink all night."
"Dork." She put the shirt back in the closet and tried to find something else.
"You love me."
"Having trouble remembering why," she said, still searching in the closet.
"You could always borrow one of my shirts," Wally offered.
"Nope, not wearing one of your dumb t-shirts."
"My t-shirts are not dumb!"
"Besides, we're going to a club," Artemis reminded him, ignoring his outburst. "It wouldn't fit the dress code."
"You'd look hot whatever you were wearing."
She leaned out of the closet long enough to blow him a kiss, causing him to grin. She flipped through a few more outfits before finally finding something that could work. "Give me a second, okay?"
"Sure thing, babe."
She quickly changed. The black halter top left her shoulders and arms bare while the black leather pants hugged her hips and legs. She found a pair of black heels and threw them on. Taking a deep breath, she poked her head out. "Ready?"
Wally grinned at her. "Ready."
His grinned disappeared as she emerged from the closet. She felt nervous as he continued to stare at her. "Wally?"
"Artemis...babe...you're gorgeous," he murmured.
"Really?" she asked, hating the quiver in her voice.
Wally stood up and crossed the room to her. The heels nearly put them on an equal height. He tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind of hair. "You're breath-taking."
She leaned up and kissed him. "I can still stay home," she said as she pulled back.
"Nope, you're going out with M'gann and the rest of the girls. You're going to have a few drinks, dance. Have a good time." He grabbed her hips, pulling her closer to him. "Just remember you're taken."
"As long as you remember you're taken as well," she said.
"Always," he promised. He gave her a brief kiss. "I'll let you finish getting ready."
"I love you, Wally."
"I love you, too, Artemis."
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Artemis was putting the finishing touches to her make-up when the doorbell rang. She left the bathroom and grabbed her clutch from the bed as she headed to the front door. Wally already had the door open when she arrived.
"Girl, you look hot!" Raquel announced as soon as she saw Artemis.
"Thanks," Artemis said. "You look amazing, too."
The other woman was dressed in a fiery red sleeveless dress with a skirt that stopped mid-thigh. Her matching heels were towering.
"You know it," she replied with a laugh.
"Ready to go?" Zatanna asked. She was dressed in a scooped neck dress, cropped leather jacket and ankle boots.
"Sure." She gave Wally a kiss. "See you later, babe."
"Have fun," he told her. He eyed the other girls. "Get her home safe."
M'gann held up some keys. "I'm the designated driver as alcohol and Martian physiology don't mix. I promise we'll bring home her safe."
Wally nodded. "Have a good night, ladies."
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The club definitely looked packed as they walked up.
"There's no way we're getting in," Artemis said as she eyed the long line waiting for the door.
"Just wait," M'gann said, squeezing her arm.
"Yeah," Raquel added, "we look too fabulous not to get in."
Zatanna winked at her as she lead them straight up to the bouncer. Her eyes flashed briefly as she muttered something under breath. Just as quickly she looked normal with a big smile plastered on her face. "Hi, there."
"Ladies," the bouncer greeted. "Line starts over there."
"We're on the list," Zatanna said.
"I don't think so."
"Why don't you check," she persisted, giving him her name.
Giving her a glare, he made a show of flipping through his clipboard. He did a double take when he got to the end. He asked Zatanna to confirm her name again. He reluctantly removed the rope. "Have a good night, ladies."
"Thank you," she said with a beaming smile as she and the other girls entered the girls entered the club.
"Zee, I can't believe you did that!" Artemis said, her lips near Zatanna's ear.
"Totally worth it," Zatanna replied, laughing. "Now, let's have some fun!"
"So ready!" Raquel grabbed Artemis by the arm and dragged her to the dance floor as a new song came on.
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"Ow," Artemis moaned as she rubbed her foot. M'gann was sitting with her, drinking a ginger ale. Raquel was still going strong on the dance floor, now with Zatanna as her partner.
"Why do pretty shoes have to hurt?" Artemis asked.
"Beats me," M'gann replied.
"I think I'm ready to call it a night," Artemis said, continuing to rub her foot.
M'gann glanced at her watch. "They should be getting ready to close soon."
"Good because I think that's the only way we're getting Raquel off the dance floor."
As the song ended, the DJ announced that club was indeed closing. Artemis slipped her shoes back on. She looked up to see Zatanna dragging a visibly annoyed Raquel back to their table.
"This is so lame," Raquel announced. "It's only 1 am. What kind of place closes at 1 am?"
"It is getting kinda late," M'gann said, grabbing her purse.
"No way," Raquel said. "This is the first time I've been out without kids, without my husband in months. No way we're calling this this early, ladies."
Zatanna sighed. "Okay, well, we can't stay here. Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know! Not home. Not yet."
"We can decide in the car," M'gann said as she began herding the others toward the door.
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"Waffles!" Raquel suddenly shouted from the back seat.
"What?" M'gann asked as she glanced in the rear view mirror.
"We can go get waffles at one of those all night diners," Raquel explained. "Come on! Surely big time female heroes like yourselves can handle some late night carbs?"
"Actually waffles do sound good," Zatanna admitted.
"Whatever," Artemis said, realizing that Wally, her pajamas and bed were getting further and further away.
"Okay, waffles it is," M'gann said, changing lanes.
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"Now, y'all have to admit that this was a brilliant idea," Raquel said as she gesture with a fork full of waffles.
"The waffles are pretty good," M'gann said. "Artemis, you sure you don't want a bite?"
"I'm good." She took a sip of her decaf coffee.
The girls discussed the night, including Raquel's moves on the dance floor. They moved on to their lives. Raquel's life as wife and mother. M'gann's upcoming wedding. Zatanna's string of boyfriends. Artemis and graduate school.
"So when are you and Wally going to settle down?" Raquel asked.
"Raquel!" Zatanna gasped.
"What?" the other woman asked. "You two have been together since you were teenagers. What's the hold-up?"
"No hold-up," Artemis said. "We've talked about it. We're just not in a hurry. We're both in graduate school. Plus we still occasionally moonlight as heroes. It's not a good time."
"Trust me," Raquel said. "It never seems like there'll be a good time. You just have to bite the bullet and do it. Am I right, M'gann?"
M'gann looked down at her engagement ring as she played with it. "Everybody's different. If Artemis and Wally are happy with how things are, good for them."
"Thanks, M'gann," Artemis said. She leaned across the table to give the other girl's hand a squeeze.
"Well, I don't think you two should keep dragging around," Raquel said.
"Noted," Artemis said, her tone dry.
"Okay, enough serious talk," Zatanna announced. "We're going to do this again. We haven't been together in too long."
"I agree," M'gann said.
"Me too," Artemis added.
"Wait. The night's not over yet," Raquel said.
Artemis groaned. "Rocket, it's like 2 am. What else do you want to do?"
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Artemis eyed the shop in front of them. "This is a really, really bad idea."
Raquel laughed. "Scared, Artemis?"
"Why on earth would you want to do this?" Artemis asked instead of answering the question.
Raquel shrugged. "I kinda of always wanted to do it. Tonight seemed like a good time. You know, out with my girls, no ball and chain."
She looked at the skeptical faces of her friends. She placed her hands on her hips. "Look, you guys don't have to do this. But I am."
With that she stomped into the shop.
"And we doing this?" Zatanna asked.
"Going in?" Artemis asked. She nodded. "As for the other? You have to decide for yourselves."
As Artemis entered the shop, Raquel was already the counter, flipping through a book. The man behind the counter looked up as the bell above the door rang. "I'll be with you ladies in a moment."
"We're with her," Zatanna said.
"Well, if you decide you're interested in a tattoo, let me know," the guy said, turning his attention back to Raquel.
Artemis studied the various designs on the wall as Raquel and the artist negotiated her tattoo. She found herself looking at a particular piece when Zatanna appeared at her shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Are we really going to let her do this?"
"She's an adult," Artemis said. "She's not hurting anyone. She can do what she wants."
"Are you going to do it?"
Artemis glanced back at the design on the wall. "I don't know."
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It was nearly dawn by the time M'gann dropped Artemis off at her door. She was fumbling for her keys when the door suddenly opened. "Hey, Wally."
"Hey, party girl. Have a good time?"
"Yes, but I'm glad to be home." She gave him a brief kiss and followed him inside. With a sigh, she kicked off her shoes as he locked the door.
"Your hair looks amazing down," he said. "You should do that more often."
"I just might."
"I'm a lucky man."
"You're a goofball," she said, kissing cheek.
"Need help getting out of that outfit?" He wiggled his eyebrows outrageously.
She laughed. "Honestly I just want to wash my face, brush my teeth and get ready for bed."
"Okay, but you'll have to tell me about your night out over breakfast."
"Deal."
She quickly got ready for bed. But Wally was already asleep by the time she climbed in beside him. With a contented sigh, she curled against his side and quickly fell asleep.
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She gave a happy sigh as she woke up to kisses being pressed against her neck. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Wally replied, continuing to kiss her neck. "Sleep well?"
She hummed her agreement. "Waking up not so bad either."
"Just not bad? Seems like I'm going to have to up my game," Wally said.
He pulled the collar of her sleep shirt, which was one of his old t-shirts, down to expose her shoulder. She waited, expecting him to continue his kisses. However, when nothing happened, she opened her eyes.
"Wally?"
He was staring at her skin. "Babe, what is this?"
She frowned, wondering why he would be staring at her shoulder like that. Her injury from her last mission had healed weeks ago. Besides Wally had already seen it. It was nothing new. Then she remembered. "Oh, that."
"Yes, that."
She sighed. "The girls and I went to a tattoo parlor last night."
"And you got a tattoo?"
"Yes."
"Can I see the rest of it?"
She nodded. "It may be easier if raise the hem of my shirt."
He carefully lifted the bottom of her t-shirt to expose her shoulder and her new tattoo. "Wow."
She had simple black line tattoo of Alice talking to the Cheshire Cat done on her shoulder. Her mother had read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to her and Jade over and over again. It had left an impression on the sisters. Jade had taken Cheshire as her alter ego. Artemis had always felt a kinship to Alice, the girl thrown into a foreign land that made little sense.
She felt Wally gently trace the edge of the tattoo. "It's beautiful. It really suits you."
"I'm glad you like it."
"Though I'm hurt that you didn't get one that said 'Property of Kid Flash' or my logo or something like that."
She snorted. "Maybe next time."
"So what else do you do last night?"
"I think you said that we'd do this over breakfast."
"So I did. Well, what do you want for breakfast?"
"Anything but waffles," Artemis said as she sat up. Wally raised an eyebrow in question making her shake her head. "I'll tell you over breakfast. I promise."
"Must have been some night."
"You have no idea."