A/N: Direct tie in to Chapter 39 Grief. Also references to Chapter 22 Corruption. Also spoilers for upcoming chapters in Red.

"Terry I will kick your ass myself!" Shayera threatened as she sat at the control deck of the Metro Tower. "When I tell you to do something you do it!"

"Geez lady take it easy would ya? It's still early in the morning and I didn't even get to have any coffee yet," Terry replied in an annoyed tone. "I got this handled."

Shayera groaned in frustration, "You are just as infuriating as Bruce was!"

She could just see the cocky smirk on his face as he spoke, "Doing my old man proud then."

Shayera heard a light chuckle from besides her which caused her to frown. "It's not funny Diana."

"Sorry," Diana chuckled a bit more. "It is rather amusing how much Terry did turn out to be like Bruce."

Shayera rolled her eyes, "When you and Wonder Woman get done there I expect for both of you to get back here pronto. Understood?"

"Yeah I got it Shayera quit nagging," Terry replied.

Shayera stayed silent for a moment before speaking again, "Cassandra I asked a question."

A female voice sighed before flippantly replying, "Yeah I got it too Aunt Shay."

Shayera shook her head as she closed the commline and turned to Diana, "She's just as bad as Terry. Are you sure it was a good idea to send her with Terry of all people?"

Diana shrugged, "It would do them both good to spend some time together. They haven't tried to get to really know each other. Are you worried Cassie will kill Terry if he pisses her off?"

"More like Terry corrupting Cassie though that would be your problem Princess," Shayera smirked.

"I'm not too worried. I think she can prove to be a good influence on him. She is his older sister after all."

Shayera raised an eyebrow, "Diana I know from experience that older siblings are not good influences. You remember how many times Emma got Rex into trouble when they were kids?"

"More times than I can remember and probably there's stories I haven't even heard of."

Shayera gave her a pointed look, "I rest my case. It is rather amusing how much those two are like Bruce. Considering one was raised on Themyscira and the other with a somewhat normal family. Hell even Matt is like Bruce in some ways. He definitely got his playboy charm and brains."

Diana chuckled as she nodded, "That's for sure. If you merge those three together you might just get one whole Bruce Wayne out of them. Either that or a Frankenstein Batman creature."

"Now that's a scary thought. Sounds like Terry got you to watch those whacky sci-fi movies he likes huh?" Shayera asked her in an amused tone.

"Guilty as charged," Diana said with a small smile. "He's also like Wally in a way."

"He is like Wally. Him and Rex get along like how John and Wally used to."

"Then I'm surprised Rex hasn't tried to strangle him yet."

Shayera chuckled, "It was horrible when Terry first got into contact with the League. Rex hated him. They also bumped heads plenty of times when Terry officially joined. Mostly because he flirted with Mareena. They get along a lot better now."

Diana smirked, "Big mistake, Rex adores Mareena. Those two still skirting around getting married?"

Shayera shrugged, "You know those two. They've broken up and gotten back together at least three times; I think they're both afraid of making that final leap of commitment with each other. I've been meaning to have a talk with Rex about it. Honestly they're good for each other. Mareena is patient and can deal with Rex's temper. Rex on the other hand has been the guide Mareena has needed since being exiled from Atlantis."

"So they're like how you and John were?" Diana raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly how me and John were, just without the bickering. When they fight though," Shayera rolled her eyes. "Even I don't want to be caught in the middle of that. Makes even my worst fights with John look tame."

"How many times did you and John even fight? You two mostly bickered since you were both stubborn and neither of you would ever concede when you didn't agree on something."

"Only a handful of times Princess. I think all of them were from before we even got married. Hell one was before the Thanagarian Invasion," Shayera looked towards the monitor again. "Despite what some may have thought back then I was able to pull off the whole married life thing pretty well."

"That and you were the first League mother on top of it. Everyone ended up coming to you for parenting advice."

"That's the most ironic part. Me of all people became the parenting guru of the Justice League," the Thanagarian laughed.

Diana lightly laughed as she stood from her seat, "I better get going. It is rather early. I intend on introducing Cassandra to iced mochas today."

"She's been off that island of yours for eight years and you never had her try one?"

"You know her and her crusade on eating healthy," Diana said with air quotes and an amused smile. She began to walk to the door and waved over her shoulder, "I'll see you later Shayera." Upon leaving the room she walked right into someone.

"Aunt Di?" The Red Lantern before her asked in mild shock.

Diana looked down at the shorter redhead she had collided with, "Is that you Emma?"

"I didn't know you rejoined the Justice League...again," she threw on. "I don't even know how long it's been since I last saw you."

"If I recall you were twenty when you left for college."

"So twenty-nine years ago, you still look the same though given you're immortal that's to be expected."

"You don't look older than your late twenties or early thirties."

Emma shrugged, "Thanagarian genes and a power ring do wonders for a girl's appearance."

Diana turned her head back towards the room she had just exited from, "I can tell. Shayera hasn't appeared to age at all from when I first met her."

"Is she in there?"

"Shayera?" Emma nodded. "She is. Shayera told me about that whole Red Lantern ring fiasco and your self exile from Earth. This is your first time back on Earth since then isn't it?"

"Yeah...first time in ten years," Emma sighed. "I better just go in there before I lose my nerve. I'll see you later Aunt Di."

"Of course, perhaps we can catch up later."

Emma curtly nodded before entering the room. Emma swallowed as Shayera still had her back to her.

"I did hear the door slide open so I know someone just came in here," Shayera said in an unamused tone. "And if it's you Rex you know it annoys me when you do that."

Emma took a deep breath, "Well it's a good thing I'm not Rex then."

Shayera's eyes immediately widened as she whipped her head around, "Emma? What are you doing here?"

Emma shrugged as she walked over, "I was in this part of the galaxy and well you know I thought I might as well drop by for once."

Shayera stood and raised an eyebrow, "You just happened to be in the area?" She then paused. "Emma you were gone for a while. You probably haven't heard about what happened."

"I've been back for a few hours. I met up with Rex and he filled me in on some stuff," Emma paused as she looked away. "He...told me about Dad."

Shayera sighed as she looked down, "I know you didn't leave Earth on good terms but your father never blamed you for what happened."

"Doesn't change what happened and the fact that I can't apologize to him now. I shouldn't have left Earth the way I did." It had taken Shayera a moment from her surprise to register what happened when Emma suddenly hugged her. "I'm sorry Mom."

Shayera softly smiled as she hugged her back, "And here I thought that ring of yours was all about hate and rage."

Emma lightly chuckled as she let go of her, "I can still feel love you smartass. Just gotta keep myself pissed off enough to keep the ring powered. Plus I have other things to be mad about and to hate. I'm not a petty kid anymore. You know that."

"Oh I'm the smartass?" Shayera sarcastically asked her. "How about we go trash zeta-bots? You like breaking and destroying things."

"I do but I thought maybe we could just talk instead. You know like normal people?"

Shayera snorted as she put her hands on her hips, "Since when were we normal?"

Emma laughed as she sat across from her mother in the cafeteria of the Metro Tower, "How are those two not married yet?"

Shayera waved her off as she was laughing too, "I'm working on it. You know how stubborn Rex can be."

"Apparently more stubborn than we are. I saw Aunt Di is back again."

"Yeah she rejoined the League eight years ago. Brought her daughter along with her off that island."

"Whoa, whoa daughter? Since when did Aunt Di have a daughter?"

Shayera chuckled, "Little secret I've known about for a very long time. She's only four years younger than you."

"Is that why she left when I was three?"

Shayera nodded, "Yup and I immediately picked up on why. Clark found out because of that super hearing of his. He overheard our entire conversation. Only other person that knew was Bruce."

"I'm surprised Uncle Bruce wasn't jeal-" Emma cut herself off and lightly gasped. "No way, Aunt Di and Uncle Bruce?"

"Oh yeah," Shayera nodded again. "Bruce and Diana agreed that Cassandra should be raised on Themyscira. Diana brought Cassandra to see Bruce here and there over the years but you know how paranoid Bruce was. He didn't want anyone to find out she was the daughter of Batman. That and the daughter of Wonder Woman would be a prime target for bad guys. Eventually he cut ties with them thinking it would keep her safe. Cassandra was around sixteen at the time. She took it very hard. She held a grudge against Bruce for decades."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Yeah I know how well that goes. I'm guessing she's still pissed at him?"

"Not at all, she got to make peace with him before he died. Her and Terry are a bit frosty with each other still."

"Wait Uncle Bruce died? Rex didn't tell me that."

"Yeah that was three years ago. Stubborn old man to the end," Shayera lightly chuckled. "It's only me, Clark, and Diana left now. Diana is immortal so she'll live forever. Clark doesn't age as slow as me so first it'll be Clark then me. Diana will be the last and only one left unless she gets killed in a battle."

"The Justice League will still go on Mom. I doubt the current members would let it die out just because the founders are gone."

Shayera shrugged, "I know but just the thought of the League being without the founders for the first time. Diana can only do so much on her own."

"She won't be on her own. She'll have everyone else there. You think Rex can't take care of stuff?"

"He can but he's got that temper of his."

"There's the pot calling the kettle black," Emma smirked at her.

Shayera likewise smirked, "I know I'm not one to talk. I'm still as bad as I've always been."

"Yeah me too but I sorta don't have a choice," Emma gestured to the power ring on her right hand.

"At least you got control over it now."

"Yeah it took a while but eventually I got my head straight for the first time in a long time," Emma paused. "I would ask about Jaye but I really don't have a right to."

"You're still her mother."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Please Mom you're more her mother than I am. You raised her, not me."

Shayera shook her head, "Doesn't matter if I raised her. In the end you're still her mother regardless. She's not mad at you if that's what you're worried about. I explained it to her before that you weren't completely right in the head."

"That's an understatement. I was pretty screwed up for a long time."

"Admittedly you were. She's doing fine though. She's smart like you but she's very mellow compared to us. She's extremely difficult to anger, not athletic in the least, and has to wear glasses. It's surprising considering her father was a meta-human and she's quarter Thanagarian."

"I'm just happy she turned out to be normal considering how insane Ravager was and I was never the most sane person either."

"The whole nature and nurture debate. I raised her the same as I raised you and Rex. So it makes you really wonder how much of our personalities are already pre-determined for us."

"I thought you were an atheist?"

"I am an atheist and for good reason. Doesn't mean that destiny can't exist. I just don't believe in a higher power that can't be taken down. The Justice League has taken on and defeated literal gods before."

"I guess we have that in common too," Emma said. "Being out in the universe for so long...I've seen a lot of stuff."

"I'm sure you have. You've probably seen a lot of crazy stuff and been to a lot of whacky planets."

Emma was silent for a moment before she spoke, "I've...been to Thanagar."

Shayera looked at her before frowning, "I don't think I want to know."

"It wasn't too bad I guess. They weren't exactly too welcoming to tell the truth. I mean they tried to blast my head off as soon as I stepped foot on that planet."

"Sounds like a typical Thanagarian welcome," she lightly smiled to herself. "So they weren't entirely decimated?"

Emma shook her head, "No but you can tell they lost a lot of people. A lot of cities were in ruin but that military of theirs is still kicking with the population they have left."

"Some things don't change, not sure if I'm relieved about that though. I was hoping they would have learned."

"You know how stubborn us Thanagarians are."

Shayera chuckled, "I know. Anyways you've been skirting around talking about yourself. How have you been this past decade?"

"How I'm doing? I should be asking you that. I know losing Dad wasn't easy on you."

"It wasn't easy at all. It took me a long time to get over it. It still hurts but I learned to move on and live my life," Shayera took a deep breath and exhaled before she continued. "Either I was going to outlive him or something like that was going to happen to one of us. Honestly I always hoped it would be me and not him."

"Dad would have been a mess if you died. You know that. I think mentally you were better suited to handle something like that than him."

Shayera lightly nodded, "Yeah I know but you're changing the subject."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes, "Always persistent. I've been fine obviously."

"What have you been doing over the last ten years? What exactly do you do with that ring of yours?"

"I go after intergalactic criminals. You know righteous vengeance? It's the whole motto of the Red Lantern Corps. I just don't kill people anymore. Beat them to near death but I don't kill or at least try not to kill."

"So in the end you became a hero still."

"Oh come on Mom I'm no hero. I never will be. I've done too many bad things in my life to ever be considered a hero."

"Take it from a person with a marred military past and did a lot of killing, you can always redeem yourself. Earth was my second chance when I got sent here. Call me crazy but that power ring is your second chance."

"You are crazy," Emma smirked. "Just like Dax."

Shayera raised an eyebrow and titled her head, "Dax?"

Emma averted her gaze, "Oh um...just a Daxamite I made friends with, Sodam Yat. He said the same thing pretty much. He's all about redemption and setting people on the right path in life."

"Oh so your friend is a guy," Shayera gave her an amused look as she rested her chin on her folded hands. "Just how friendly are you with him?"

Emma lightly blushed, "Mom!"

"Relax I'm just teasing."

Emma gave her an unamused look before smirking, "We do have one other thing in common."

"And what is that?"

"It turns out that I have a thing for Green Lanterns too."

Shayera looked at her for a moment before she slyly smirked, "That Daxamite is a Green Lantern and I take it he isn't just a friend."

Emma coyly smiled, "Yeah he is and we're not just friends but you know those Oans. No way in hell they can know he's with a Red Lantern. They were pissed off enough that Dad was with you. I can't imagine what they would do to Dax if they found out."

"Little blue goblins," Shayera muttered with a scowl.

"Mom when I leave you should come with me. You don't have to stay here. You'd have the whole galaxy to explore with us. Plus all of that fighting you'd get to do."

"As tempting as that offer is, Earth is my home Emma. I don't want to leave this planet."

Emma gave her a small, sad smile, "I figured you would say that but I thought I'd offer either way. If Uncle Clark is ok with it I can visit Earth more often and maybe bring Dax along a few times. Dax still has to take care of his own sector so I can't promise anything."

"It would be nice to meet the person that melted that heart of yours. Maybe a few times you can take me off world. But Clark doesn't get a say in what you're allowed to do and not do. You got control over that ring now. The whole issue Clark had was about you losing control again."

"Yeah that's not gonna happen anymore, trust me. I wouldn't let it happen and neither would Dax," Emma assured her. "Is the offer still on the table to go smash some zeta-bots? I could use the exercise."

Shayera smirked, "It's always on the table. I'll probably destroy too many of them for you to even get a warm up."

"Oh you're so on Mom. I'll blast all of those bots before you can even pick up that mace of yours."

A/N: I am quite pleased with the reactions for the previous chapter. Emma is not supposed to be a likeable character as a teen and adult. So mission accomplished! For a timeline look at it. Emma didn't really get over her petty grudge until she became a Red Lantern and stuff happens. So you're talking about a 26 year gap in the time between Emma became a vindictive little shit holding a petty grudge against her mother to when she became a Red Lantern and stuff happened that made her respect Shayera again. This won't be covered in this series as it's the next upcoming chapters in Red and I don't want to spoil too much stuff.

When it comes to John, just remember that one line: Though he had to admit that her spitefulness did come from him. We saw in JLU how petty John could be and he definitely did that out of spite. Though we saw Shayera being petty too; cause let's be real she did sleep with Carter. There's always going to be a piece of John that's going to be angry at Shayera for what happened. Just like how there's always going to be a piece of Shayera that hates herself for what she did.

Also another thing I want to address. I do not take fanfic requests. Sorry but I don't. I write whatever plotline comes to mind. And stuff being requested has been addressed in previous chapters and even in JLU itself.

And yes I purposely posted the previous chapter before this one for a good contrast.