Disclaimer: I don't own J'onn or the Justice League, DC comics does. I do own a video, recorded episodes, a few comics, and a J'onn J'onzz pencil topper [and I still have to eat the cereal I got it in ^^]

Authors note: Wow...the final chapter, and I never imagined it would get this far. When I first thought of this idea, I wasn't actually going to write it, but I'm glad I did. Sorry this was delayed, but our modem went down on Wednesday and we got the new one today [Actually I finished the chapter on Wednesday :-p]

I'm going to do a bigger authors note after this chapter, and I want to answer any questions about the fic, so please ask em! Put them in the review or E-mail me!


Recovery
Chapter ten - Recovered





"For the last time kid...I don't think having alcohol at this would be a good idea"

"Why not?" the scarlet speedster asked, as he and John Stewart walked down the streets of Metropolis. Somehow, they had been given the job of getting the food for the party, and as his real identity was known by just about everyone, and John had the 'cool ring thingy', as Flash had put it, they wouldn't have much trouble getting the food to the Watchtower. Just get it, order it to go to Wally's apartment, then get GL to take it to the watchtower.

Except they couldn't choose what to get.

"Because" John Stewart replied "We know that Superman can handle it, but Diana's been on an island for most of her life"

"We just get her some more iced mochas" Wally pointed out, both knowing the slight 'liking', the Amazon princess had developed for the drinks.

John chuckled "Yeah" he mentally added it to the list, which so far contained items like crisps, dip, ice-cream [this had been Wally's idea] and now, more iced mochas, "But we don't know what it might do to Shayera or J'onn"

Wally smirked, "Already on first names with her then buddy", which made John turn a very deep shade of red.

He coughed, "Yeah..."

"You don't need to worry about Hawkgirl anyway" Wally assured him "I have it on good authority she knows what Alcohol is"

"You do?"

"Remember that black eye I had a while back..." Wally was the one to blush this time, and John nodded.

"Yeah..."

"That was the first time she got drunk"

"Ah" John simply said, fighting the urge to laugh, "Ok" he chuckled "We can get some, but we keep her away from it, got it"

"Defiantly" Wally nodded "But if she does...you can take care of it", he reached up to a shelf in the store absently, and pulled down a packet of cookies, which fell into the basket.

The label read.

Oreos.

- - - - -

While Green Lantern and Flash had been stuck with getting the refreshments, the other members of the league were also getting into the spirit.

Batman, of course, did not actually do anything, not wanting to seem 'soft', but grudgingly agreed to actually attend it, in part because of the fact that J'onn had saved his, and their, lives, many times, and because he knew what it was like to lose family, and understood, at least in part, what J'onn had gone through when he had almost let himself get that deep.

"This sounds like fun" Hawkgirl smirked, as she swooped up to the top of the meeting hall, and hung the banner to one of the steel beams.

On the other side, Superman had pinned up the other, and smiled back, "I can't believe that this was Flash' idea..." he paused "wait...yes I can"

"A birthday party" Hawkgirl prompted, with a grin "is pure Flash"

Superman nodded, fighting the urge to laugh "Yes, you're defiantly right"

"They should be back soon" the Thanagarian mused.

"Flash and Lantern?"

She nodded, a slight blush colouring her cheeks at the mention of the last name, but the man of steel was too busy with hanging a set of balloons in the top right corner to see, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Making sure the strings were tight, she touched down on the ground, just as the aforementioned two came walking in the door.

"Hey guys, food's here!" Flash grinned, zooming in, dropping six bags on the table, going out again, and coming in with another six before Green Lantern walked in with the last three"

Superman and Hawkgirl blinked.

"How much food did you get?" he asked when they began opening the bags and pulling out various items.

"Just enough...and don't worry, Bats is paying" Flash nodded.

"He is?" Hawkgirl looked incredulously at him, but the scarlet speedster nodded again.

"Yeah, said he wouldn't participate in all this 'kids stuff', but he'd pay for the food...good ol' bats" Flash finished, glancing at them before pulling out more cans, tins, bags at superhuman speed, setting them all out on the table, then disappearing for a split second, and reappearing with bowls, glasses, which soon were filled with food and drinks.

"Oreos...where did these come from?" Green Lantern pulled the bag open, took one gingerly in his hand, and, in the interests of testing, of course, took a bite from it.

"Dunno...must have dropped into the bag" Flash shrugged "What's it like?"

"...chocolately..." Green Lantern murmured with his mouth full "Not too bad though"

It wasn't long before all the refreshments had been set out, presents, at Flash's suggestion, 'after all, you can't have a party without presents', had been placed on a table, and everything else was ready. Batman, with a grudge upon his face [and a small present], had arrived. There was just one more thing they needed.

J'onn.

- - - - -

"Do you ever imagine what it would be like, if none of this had ever happened?"

Diana turned her head from watching the crowds, to the man sitting beside her. He was clad in casual attire, and his brown hair was ruffled slightly by the breeze. This was the form, or at least one, of those that J'onn took when he was down on Earth. She was also not in her normal uniform.

"What do you mean?"

"The Imperium, my coming here...would the Justice League exist, and would we know each other..." he trailed off.

Diana knew he still felt bad about what had happened, no matter how much it changed, he would still blame himself for some part in it. And as much as she wanted to tell him, she knew that there was no way to make him stop it completely. But he had made a mistake, as everyone did, and Diana would do everything to stop him from letting himself get dragged down by those feelings again.

"I don't know" she finally admitted "Maybe you'd still be on Mars, I would be back on the island with my sisters, and there wouldn't be a Justice League, but we cannot change the past"

J'onn nodded, a smile tracing his lips, in this form, he usually wore the same expression as he did in his Martian appearance, and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I am sorry, I must have dredged up your past...memories..." he murmured.

Diana smiled back "It's ok J'onn, I like to think about it, it's sad, but it's also happy, and trying to forget everything isn't good...it's in the bad times, that some of the best things in life happen"

"Yes" J'onn nodded "If I had not been captured by the Imperium, I may not have tried to contact you and the others, the league may not have been formed, and I would not have a new family"

Diana felt extremely happy at this, she knew J'onn had felt the pain at losing his family more than anybody else in the group. She had the satisfaction of knowing her mother, and sisters were still alive, even though she could not see them, Superman had been too young to remember his natural parents, Flash and Green Lantern didn't say it, but she knew they had family somewhere. Hawkgirl, whether she missed hers or not, never seemed to show it.

Batman...she didn't know anything about his, and the dark somber mood he was always in made it seem likely his past wasn't something good, and she felt that J'onn knew about it for some reason, but he had been an adult, with a wife, and children, and had been stopped from protecting them.

That must have hurt down to his core.

So to hear that he thought of them as a family, as his new family, made her happier than she could have imagined.

"Flash made that comparison not long after I woke up" J'onn spoke up, bringing her back from her thoughts "He said of Batman being the father, Green Lantern the brother...and I feel those do seem true, but I think of you" and he paused at this point, a slight blush, unnoticeable in his Martian form, coloured his cheeks "...as a sister...though I did not have my own, it is similar to that of a brother, and in that, you are much like that"

"Thank you J'onn" Diana smiled "I don't understand fully what a brother is, but if it is anything like a sister, I think you fit it completely"

J'onn nodded, and stood "Should we be returning to the Watchtower" he asked.

Diana glanced at her watch, it was now almost twenty to twelve, and the others should be ready by now, she nodded. "Yes, Batman said there would be a meeting at twelve", this was a lie, but she needed to get him back there without revealing anything, and something out of the ordinary would make him suspicious.

"Batman would not wish anyone to be late" J'onn chuckled, and Diana did the same as they walked around the corner of the park, to a more deserted area. He took Diana's arm, and went translucent through a wall, on the other side was the Javelin. They entered, started the engines, and took off, flying for a few seconds before J'onn took off the cloaking device.

- - - - -

"I would have thought that Batman would hold a meeting later in the night" J'onn spoke up as he and Diana walked down the corridors of the Watchtower, after having landed the Javelin in the hanger bay.

"Maybe he's trying to keep up that mysterious image he has" Diana suggested, trying to make sure J'onn did not suspect something was up. So far it seemed to be working, and it wouldn't be much longer until they got there.

- - - - -

"Guys, I hear them!" Flash grinned, his head pressed to the door, listening for footsteps. On hearing them, he told the others, who all got into their respective places, one turned down the light, and Batman tried to fold into the shadows.

The door swished open, and two sets of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and into the room.

Everyone held their breath.

"This is strange..." a deep toned voice commented.

J'onn.

"Perhaps the meeting hasn't started yet"

Diana.

"It is already a minute past, and Batman is never late"

Flash suppressed a chuckle.

"The light is awfully low", they heard Diana comment, which was part of the plan, working, as they heard footsteps echo again on the floor, and though they couldn't see it, an arm, reaching for the switch.

It turned on.

Light flooded the room, and J'onn caught sight of the decorations, food, and packages on the table, around the room, and on the walls and ceiling. He turned to Diana, who smiled at him, and embraced him.

"I do not understand..." the Martian murmured gently "What is this for?"

"It's for you J'onn" Diana smiled, letting go and her eyes wandering to where each one of the leaguers came away from their hiding places [or in Batman's case, his shadows], and also smiled at their friend.

"For me?" J'onn looked surprised, and his gaze wandered again around the room, to all that was in it, and then to his friends. "I am overwhelmed by this..."

"It's a birthday party" Flash piped up, appearing at J'onn's side, pressing a wrapped box into the Martians arms. J'onn just looked at the package until he made a move to open it. It was of a rectangular shape, and when the wrapping had been taken off, J'onn saw it was a game console, with games inside.

"Everyone loves games" the scarlet speedster grinned "And I can show you how to play em"

J'onn could not help but smile at this "Thank you Flash"

"No problem!"

After this, all of the other leaguers, to his surprise, also gave him presents, well, except for Batman, but J'onn didn't think he was the type to participate in this kind of activity. At least he did until a few minutes after the present giving had been over, and everyone was talking amongst themselves, eating and drinking, J'onn casting a glance every so often at the plate with the Oreo's piled up on top of it, and was about to go and try one when Batman had come up to him, and motioned for him to follow.

- - - - -

Coming to the door of J'onn's quarters, he turned to the dark knight with a puzzled look.

"Why are we here?"

Batman, if it could be possible, seemed slightly embarrassed when he answered "I have something for you, but I prefer not to have the others there"

"You do not want to lose your intimidation factor" J'onn chuckled.

"It's a vital part of my operations" Batman said in all seriousness, pressing the button and letting the door open.

J'onn stepped inside, caught sight of what was on the near most table, and gasped, eyes going wide.

"H..How did you get this?" he breathed, running a hand alongside the orbs which glowed, changing colour with each movement of his hand, and making a harmonious sound so deep and melodic that for a moment, he felt as if he were back on Mars.

"I still keep in touch with Jason" Batman answered "And he mentioned seeing this when you were under LeFey's illusion, and it was something special...wasn't it J'onn"

"Yes..." J'onn nodded "The tactile scheme, or how it translates to English, was something that almost every Martian had in his or her home, it was meant to be a representation of their family, a different member represented by a sound and colour, and when the hand is placed over it, the sounds and colours mix to represent the unity of family..." he paused "But this is exactly as it was on Mars...how did you get it to be so?"

Batman smirked "That's my secret, J'onn, but it will work the same, I'm sure of it" he finished, then turned to leave the room, J'onn left one last glance at the tactile scheme, and noticed that unlike his one back on Mars, where there had been four, for himself, M'y'ria and the children, as well as for his own parents, here, there were those.

And six more.

It could have been a mistake, but J'onn did not think so, it seemed to be a sign that they all accepted him, and he would cherish it forever.

He left the room, followed Batman back to the party, and his friends.

And picked up an Oreo.

- - - - -