A/N: Alright, this is the last chapter before we get into season 2.
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
[November 2015]
The sound of crying reached Roy all the way in the kitchen. He smiled a little and quickly turned off the water. "I'm coming," he muttered to himself as he dried his hands, then headed towards his room.
"Should we get Jade?" Connor asked, his head popping up from the couch.
"God, no. This is the first time since giving birth she's been able to train. I'm not interrupting her for anything short of the apocalypse."
"Right…"
Roy went to his bedroom, where the crying got a lot louder when he stepped inside. "Awww," he cooed as he went over to the bassinet against one wall. Inside, a small— tiny to him— baby cried unhappily, tiny hands curled into fists and feet kicking out in her onesie. "Shhh…. Shhh…." Roy picked her up and gently cradled the tiny infant to his chest, letting her head rest on his shoulder, face turned away from him. He instinctively put a hand against her head to keep her stabilized. "Shhh…. Shhhh… It's ok. It's ok, Lian. Daddy's here. Shhh…" He bounced Lian gently as he paced the cramped space of his bedroom. "I know. I know. You woke up and Mama was gone. It's very scary." He kept moving for close to ten minutes until Lian cried herself out and eventually quieted. "There, that's better." He kissed her head gently. "I promise Mama is coming back later. She's getting some energy and aggression out right now. Come on, let's go see Connor." He carried Lian out to the living room.
Connor looked up from his book as Roy walked in. "Why was she crying?" he asked.
"Who knows why babies cry sometimes. She was probably upset Jade was here when she went to sleep and gone when she woke up."
"Does she even know who Jade is? She's like…two weeks old."
"I guarantee she knows her mother. Besides, the books say at two weeks babies can focus on faces." Roy knelt down, which prompted Connor to shove his book aside right before the man handed him the baby. "Can you hold her while I get a bottle?"
"Sure…" Connor gently moved his arms so he was cradling the baby in the exact way Jade had shown him. Her tiny head rested on his arm, keeping her head supported. He swallowed nervously as Roy left and Lian gazed up at him intently. "You're really loud, you know that? Mia and I sleep on the other side of the wall from you and we can always hear you at night." Lian just stared at him, tiny fingers uncurling as she reached up for him. "I know you're just a baby and crying is one of the three things you can consciously do, but still…" He trailed off as Lian's fingertips grazed his chin. "You're too cute, you know that? It's like a weapon." He gently rubbed her arm with his thumb. "Mia says you're an attention hog, but I think you deserve it. You did have to wait 9 months to meet your parents after all."
"You guys having a nice conversation?" Roy asked as he returned.
"She's got some fascinating ideas."
"I'm sure." Roy gently replied Connor of holding Lian, then settled down with her on the couch. "Are you and Mia all packed?"
"Uh… Mostly."
"Well, make that mostly a definitely. We're moving this weekend, so we have to be ready."
"Uh-huh." Connor grabbed his book and stood. He went to his and Mia's room, where Mia was laying on the ground, reading a book for school.
"What was Lian crying about this time?" Mia asked vaguely as she turned the page.
"Roy seems to think it's because Jade isn't here."
"Well, she does supply Lian with her food."
Connor's cheeks warmed at the reminder of walking into the kitchen a few days before to see Jade breastfeeding. "Please don't remind me."
"Oh please, Connor. It's…super natural. That's how babies eat."
"I know that! I don't have any problem with it… It's just-"
"Yeah, yeah. You don't like breasts. I get it."
Connor's cheeks warmed even more. "It's not that! Oh, forget it! Roy says we need to be all packed up to move this weekend."
"Why? It isn't like we have a lot to pack." Mia sat up and sighed. "We haven't even seen the new place. Are we just going to find out what it looks like when we get there?"
"Maybe. I mean…it's an apartment. What do we really have to see?"
"An apartment that Roy converted from the whole floor of an abandoned apartment building! You know it's gotta be like…amazing."
Connor shrugged as he grabbed an empty box. "Let's just get packed. Roy's busy enough with normal stuff, finishing the new place, and Lian."
"Ugh… You're right." Mia sighed again as she got to her feet. "Let's get this done so I can finish my reading. I can't afford to get behind in English right now."
"Mhm…" Connor tossed her an empty box, then went over to the bookshelf to pack his belongings.
— —
Roy spent most of the afternoon feeding Lian, then bouncing and rocking her. She didn't seem interested in sleeping unless he was providing some kind of motion. Any time he paused, after seeing her eyes slip closed and breathing even out, within seconds Lian would whine, her face scrunching up, then start squirming unhappily. So Roy was forced to spend a few hours bouncing her rocking her to keep her asleep. "You're giving Daddy an arm workout today," he whispered to the sleeping bundle in his arms. "Good thing I have great upper body strength." The sound of the door opening awn then closing made him turn his head.
A few seconds later, Jade walked into the living room, then gave him a small smile when she saw Lian. "How was she?" she asked quietly.
"A little grumpy, but not bad. I think it was a big adjustment for her waking up to suddenly not having you here. How was your work out?"
"Fantastic. It was good to finally be fighting again. Even if it was just one of your dummies."
"I'm glad. Do you want to take Lian so I can get dinner started?"
"Give her to me."
Very carefully, Roy deposited Lian in Jade's arms, then went to the kitchen. 'Hopefully, she'll be awake after dinner,' he thought as he started preparing their meal. 'I want to take the kids to the new place tonight. Just so they can see what it looks like.' Months of work had finally resulted in a new, very large apartment for his family. 'I know Connor and Mia will love their new rooms. They'll probably love having their own rooms, too. Lian is too young to appreciate hers, but she'll have room for a real crib and a swinger and all those other baby needs.' The cramped apartment meant while the infant had all the basic necessities, they were as basic as possible. 'She needs room to eventually crawl around and for toys and books.' Maybe he could even convince Jade to go with them. Unlikely, but there was always a chance.
A sense of excitement had filled Roy. This was a position he'd never thought he'd be in. Literally building his own home for a family- his family, (even if he still wasn't 100% sure about where his relationship with Connor and Mia stood, but they were family) while holding down his own successful business and protecting Star City. Part of him didn't want to think too hard on it, afraid that acknowledging it would bring down some kind of life-altering event, but it was hard to do that when everything was so…calm. It had been calm for months now. The most life-altering event he'd faced was Lian's birth. And while that had been scary, it wasn't horrible or traumatizing. The love he felt when he held the tiny baby girl- his tiny baby girl, outweighed the anxiety. Which was new for him.
When dinner was ready, Roy and Jade took turns eating for a few minutes, then holding Lian, because there wasn't enough room for a high chair in the kitchen.
"Bet you guys will be happy once we're living in the new place," Mia smirked.
"Can't wait," Jade muttered as she passed Lian off to Roy for his next turn. "She'll have a swing so we don't have to hold her 24/7 and she can sit in a high-chair."
"Can she even sit in one? She can't hold up her own head."
"They make special highchairs for babies as young as her," Roy said as he let Lion grab his finger with her fist. "She'll be fine." He smiled when Lian moved his finger into her mouth. "Your gums feel weird, baby girl."
"Ewww! Roy, we're eating!"
"Sorry." He gave Lian a wink before turning back to Connor and Mia. "After dinner, we're stopping by the new place so you guys can see your rooms." Still smiling, he gently pulled his finger from Lian's mouth. "Including you, little leech."
"She's not a leech," Jade frowned. She reached over and briefly stroked Lian's cheek. "She's a vampire."
"Yeah, that's better." Lian grabbed Roy's finger again, so he gave her his undivided attention for the rest of dinner. Once they finished, Connor and Mia took care of the dishes while Roy got Lian ready to go. He almost giggled at the extra-tiny booties he slipped on her feet. "They fit you perfectly, baby girl." Next, he put on a small sweater that buttoned in the front, then set her down in the bassinet to strap-on the carrier. When he was ready, he settled Lian in the little seat, nestled safely against his chest. Roy feather kissed her whip-like hair. "Let's go see if Connor and Mia are ready." He walked out into the living, where Mia snickered at him.
"You look ridiculous," she informed him.
"If Lian is comfortable, that's all that matters." From the corner of his eye, Roy saw Jade approach them, then put a small, pink hat on Lian's head. "You want to come?"
"Not a chance," Jade replied. She kissed Lian's hat gently, before giving Roy a look he knew meant 'watch her' before turning away.
Roy's arm subconsciously wrapped itself around her. 'I would never let anything happen to Lian. I'd rather die first.' But it was fine. They were just going to the new place, looking around, then coming home so he could drop Lian off, then he could take Connor and Mia on patrol. "Let's go guys. We're on a strict time schedule here."
"Uh-huh…" Mia hummed. "Just waiting on Connor."
Connor, who'd been ready for two minutes, shook his head. "You shouldn't lie around the baby," he said.
"She's two weeks old, Connor. She doesn't know what lying is."
"Let's go," Roy interrupted. "Out the door, you two know the way to the building." The two teens headed for the door and he tapped Lian's back a little bit in excitement as he followed.
— —
They entered the building through the backdoor, then Roy led the teens up the stairs. The came to the hall, then he led them to the door. "Ready?"
"Yeah," Connor replied, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Mia?"
"Of course," Mia said.
"Ok." Roy unlocked the door, then stepped aside so they could walk in and look round themselves. After a few seconds, he followed them in. Just inside the door, he'd taken out the walls, leading only support beams to leave a large living room, at least twice the size of their old one. "You guys like it?"
"Whoa…"
"Over here is the dining room." Roy led them through the kitchen to another room. "We'll be able to have a bigger table. There's a bathroom over here, then the bedrooms are down here." He led them down the part of the hall that had been left intact. Each of the four, one-bedroom apartments had been converted into a bedroom. "Each of you has your own bedroom…and bathroom."
'My own bathroom?!' Mia thought excitedly. 'I've never had my own bathroom before!' She glanced over at Connor, who was busy looking at everything else.
"Mia, your room is on the left, Connor, yours is on the right."
Mia slipped past Roy and into her bedroom. There were no signs that it had been a small apartment before. The living room and bedroom were now one large room, the kitchen was no longer remotely kitchen like and was now a big, walk-in closet, with only the bathroom left intact. Mouthing hanging open a little, Mia slowly turned in a circle as she surveyed the room. Her heart started beating faster and her palms became sweatier. She swallowed as her breathing also slowly got faster. This room was for her. The whole, huge room was only for her. It was way more than anyone had ever given her…more than Roy had ever given her. Mia suddenly found herself for the ground, but was so upset she didn't even care.
"Mia?"
Someone was talking. Who was talking? The sound of the voice only made her heart beat faster though. Mia drew her legs protectively against her body and shivered as the ghost of a hand caressed her arm. Someone put a hand on her shoulder, but Mia swatted it away. "D- Don't-" Goddammit, she couldn't even talk she was so out of breath!
"Mia, I need you to listen to me. Just listen to me."
Distrust welled up in her chest, which next to the jackhammering of her heart and erratic breathing made Mia feel so out of control she wanted to pull her hair out.
"Just listen. Listen to the sound of my voice. You need to breathe. Breathe, Mia. In… Out… In…. Out…"
Mia tried. She really tried. It felt like she wasn't making any progress because her chest was burning, but she kept breathing. Despite the deep distrust, something in Mia's brain recognized the voice. The feeling of being-out-of-control prevented her from putting a name to the voice, but she somehow still knew it. So she kept breathing, her breaths slowly getting bigger and bigger. Eventually, her lungs were filling with air and after several long minutes, everything calmed down. Her heartbeat slowed, the jittery feeling disappeared with her fear, and she felt like she was back in control of her brain. Mia opened her eyes (when she'd closed them, she didn't know) to find Roy sitting in front of her, concern etched all over his face, Lian still strapped to his chest.
"Are you ok?"
There was a whole minute where Mia didn't say anything and Roy— thankfully— didn't rush her. They sat in silence, Mia just breathing until she could talk. "Sorry-"
"Don't apologize, Mia. You have no reason to apologize."
"I do!" Mia dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. "God, you sent so much time working on this and- And I love it! I do, but- My fu- freaking brain won't get with the da- dang program!" She slammed her hands down onto the carpet and glared at him. "I'm crazy, Roy!"
"You're not crazy."
"I freak out when I get things! It doesn't matter what you give me, whether its a box of chocolates, or an iPod, or this room…" Mia looked down and started tracing the carpet with her finger. "I- I just can't deal, Roy. It's such a normal thing but it…it freaks me the freak out."
Roy was quiet for a few seconds as he thought about what to say. "I understand how you feel, Mia. There was a time when I had an anxiety attack anytime an adult raised their voice around me. I once had a panic attack because I knocked a cup over in front of Batman. Trust me, I know exactly how it feels to freak out over seemingly normal stuff. I know what it's like when it feels like you can't control your own mind."
"Freaking…terrible."
"I know." Roy hesitated, then pushed on. "Do- Do you want it to stop?"
"Of course I freaking do." Mia lifted her head to look at him. "I don't…like this."
"Well, and I know you're not going to like my answer, but you need to talk to your therapist about it." When she opened her mouth to object, he pressed on quickly. "I know, I know, you don't like therapy, but that's the only way it'll get better. If you don't get help, it'll only get worse. It got better for me, but that's because I got the help I needed. You should do the same."
Mia looked back at the ground, biting the inside of her lip as she thought. Finally, she said quietly, "I'll think about it."
"Good. Are you ok if I go check on Connor, or-"
"No, I'm fine." She was emotionally drained but more or less fine. "I'm fine."
"…Ok." While Roy wasn't completely convinced she was fine, he also didn't want to keep pushing her. So he went across the hall to check on Connor. The boy was wandering around the perimeter of the room, slowly examining his room. "Uh… Do you like it?"
"Its…amazing," Connor replied.
"Did you see the alcove?" Roy led Connor over to a window, which overlooked the backyard, and was located in a small alcove. "I thought you could meditate here."
"Oh. Yeah, yeah. It's…perfect actually. Thanks, Roy."
"You're welcome, kid.I'm glad you like the room. I'm going to show Lian hers, then we have to get home, ok?"
"Mhm."
Roy poked his head in on Mia, who was now up and walking around her room. He nodded to himself then went to Lian's new nursery. While Connor and Mia's rooms were located in a short hall that branched off from the main hall. "Your room is across from mine, baby girl. Right across from your mother's room." He opened the door and walked in. "See? There's a couple of windows. I'll put your crib over here and get you lots of books and toys. Not right away, but eventually. Maybe one of those playmats I saw at the store where a little mobile hangs over you. Hm? What'd you think?" He looked down at her, but Lian was fast asleep. A small smile graced Roy's lisp as he rubbed her back. "With us living here, me working, and having the Arrow Cave below us…it's like having our own little world, baby girl." He paused for a moment, even though, logically, he knew she wouldn't respond. "Come on, let's go get Connor and Mia so we can go home."
Within five minutes later, he had rounded up Connor and Mia, and the three were on their way home. The two teens were whispering between themselves, so Roy let them talk. 'I'm glad they're excited to be moving,' he thought. 'I knew they would love the new place. Even if we had a couple of hiccups.'
— —
Patrol was uneventful. They'd only been patrolling every other day since Lian's birth (including a three-day break immediately after she was born), so Red Arrow had thought this might lead to an uptick in crime. He was wrong though, Everything was more or less the same, including the random night when everything was just really quiet. The worst criminals they came across was a couple of purse-snatchers, so Red Arrow let GA and Speedy handle them alone. He couldn't help the pride that blossomed in his chest as he watched the two younger vigilantes working cohesively and seamlessly as a team. 'They're getting so good,' he thought. 'Soon I'll be able to introduce them to everyone else. Connor has shown enough commitment to the life that it should mitigate any bad reactions about him being Oliver's son and Mia is skilled enough that I don't have to worry about trying to explain myself to people.' Everything was still a little busy, but once it was really settled down he'd introduce Bruce and Dick to the kids. Maybe after Christmas.
Connor and Mia were sent off to bed as soon as they got home. They got ready for bed in their normal routine, with Mia eventually finding her way onto her bunk while Connor settled down to meditate. "Are you feeling better?" Connor asked quietly.
"What?" Mia asked, propping herself up on her elbow.
"You had you know…an anxiety attack or something in your new room. Do you feel better?"
"Oh, yeah. I do." Mia laid down and stared at the ceiling. "Roy says I need to talk to my therapist about this."
"He's right."
Mia sighed. "I know…"
"If you know then why don't you follow his advice?"
"Because… Because I'm not used to talking about all this…stuff. You know? They have rules about snitches on the street and Richard…" She shivered involuntarily. "He didn't really like the idea of us talking about it to anyone. You know?"
"Hm…"
"But…it's different now. It still doesn't mean I'm comfortable sharing though."
"Do you trust your therapist?"
"She's nice and she listens so….yes?"
"Just remember she's there to help you, Mia. You can do it. I believe in you."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Even if they decide I'm crazy?"
"Even then."
Mia smiled at the ceiling. "I'm holding you to that."
— —
Roy went to bed not long after Connor and Mia did. When he walked dint his bedroom, Lian was fast asleep, tiny hands curled into fists. Roy smiled a little bit as he paused by her, then blew her a kiss and got ready for bed. Jade was already asleep by the time he was ready, but he didn't try to wake her. He and Jade (after much arguing and eventual compromising) and both been sleeping in Roy's bed from month 6 of her pregnancy onward. She'd continued to sleep in his bed as she recovered from childbirth. While it was a little awkward given that the status of their relationship was still very much Just Friends, Roy had gotten used to it. (Plus it was only for a few more nights.) So he went to bed, two feet from Jade, and rolled over to sleep.
Everything was coming together. It was all, finally, coming together. He had it this time. Everything was going to be ok. It would be fine.
— —
Far above Star City, the Justice League's meeting had just finished on the Watchtower. Batman stood to leave so he could go straight home to meet Robin for patrol, but was sidetracked by Green Lantern, who created a glowing green barrier to keep him from leaving the room. Batman frowned, then growled low as he approached the other hero. "What do you want, Jordan?" he asked quietly.
"In a second," Hal replied. "Give everyone a minute to leave."
Batman was taken aback for a moment, not that he showed it. "Why?"
"Just trust me."
It was quite a statement about how much Batman secretly trusted Hal that he stayed in the meeting room until everyone else had left. Once they were alone, he took half a step closer. "Spill, Lantern."
"Oliver's missing."
Batman blinked, then the lenses on his cowl narrowed. "What do you mean he's missing?"
"There was an…attack at the prison site. We don't know who it was, but a couple of yellow lanterns we were holding there got away so our money's on the Sinestro Corps. Anyway, when they did the headcount of who was there once we got the situation under control, Oliver was gone. Him and like…a dozen other prisoners."
"Why do you sound so calm about all this?" Hal was admitting that a man they'd spent years trying to arrest had gone missing from the prison, but he didn't seem at all worried. "What aren't you telling me?"
"…That planet isn't exactly hospitable to human life, Batman. I need the protection of my ring every time I go. Most species can't survive any exposure. It's why the prison was built there. The building keeps them safe from the hostile planet environment."
"So when it was attacked and Oliver managed to get out…"
"I'd put all my cards on he ran as far as he could before the planet's environment got him. We can't search the whole thing, and there's a not-so-small lava problem on a lot of the surface so…"
"So…you think Oliver is…dead?"
"I don't know for sure, but…it's the only explanation that makes sense. Guy and John found the body of another prisoner who'd gotten out during the attack and died soon after his escape. It's not impossible to think the same thing could've happened to Oliver. Besides, what other explanation is there? How could he possibly have gotten off the planet, or even get back to Earth if he did?"
Batman was quiet for a few seconds. "The only logical explanation is that he's dead." He nodded slowly. "Very well. Anything else?"
"No, that's it."
"Good." Without another word, Batman let the meeting room, His mind was reeling. 'Oliver's most likely dead. Almost certainly dead.' There was a not so small part of Bruce that was pleased with this development. 'He's gone. For good. He'll never, ever be a problem again.' This is why he wasn't going to tell Roy. The archer had been doing so well, and Oliver had already been a non-problem for him for the last…almost five years. 'Roy doesn't need to deal with this. He already feels Oliver can never come after him again, and now he absolutely never will.' Roy didn't need to know. Oliver was dead. What more was there to it?