Chapter five

"............and that's how we defeated Hades."

To say that Preston's eyes were bulging out of his head would be the understatement of the evening. He was sitting on a comfortable, overstuffed couch in the den of the Watchtower, munching on chips, listening wide-eyed to Diana, who was sitting opposite him, talking animatedly.

From her post on the opposite loveseat, Katma smirked inwardly. They had been at the Watchtower for only half an hour, and Preston had already managed to make an impression on each and every member of the Justice League.

Preston was always like that, she thought reflectively. Even in the old days when she was dating John, he had always managed to keep people wrapped around his little finger.

Maybe it was his wide smile, his sense of humor, or his large, innocent-looking eyes that drew people in, but whatever it was- it worked like magic. He was now seated comfortably with Wonder Woman and Superman, talking casually about battles they'd been through, as if he'd known them all his life.

Even she, who'd met them before, was much more reserved. She had kept her own conversation to a minimum, and most of it was directed to J'onn J'onnz, who was sitting beside her and seemed to think it his responsibity to make her feel welcome. After a bit of meaningless small talk that included both the weather and the state of the roads, even he had fallen silent.

Katma sighed inwardly. In a way, she envied Preston. They were around the same age, but her being a woman and a Green Lantern made her naturally tough and defensive- and that came along as coldness to many people. Preston, on the other hand, had no such scruples, and his charm won people over almost instantly. He had time to......be himself, and have fun doing it.

Crash!

Katma was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of breaking glass, and what sounded like.....metal clanging to the floor. Then a woman's scream.

"Flash, are you TRYING to kill me?!?!?"

"I'm sorry, Shy! The tray was wobbly-"

"And I suppose it makes perfect sense to bring it over at warp speed........" Hawkgirl's vocie was growing tenser by the minute. And more sarcastic.

"Well, it did at the time!"

Katma stifled a laugh. Flash, in an uncharacteristic show of concern, had been so shocked at Hawkgirl's state that he had immeadiatly volunteered to act as her nurse till she recovered; and in the thirty minutes he'd been caring for her, he'd already spilled water on the bed, nearly set the kitchen on fire in an effort to warm up her favorite sesame seed rolls; and apparently, now, spilled lunch. His voice came from the room again, highly agitated.

"Just hold still a minute while I......" another crash.

"Flash!" wailed Hawkgirl.

Katma laughed aloud and stood to her feet. "Let me go and check on them, J'onn," she said to the Martian, who had already risen. He nodded and sat back down, and Katma headed for Shayera's bedroom.

Shayera was sitting up in bed, water all over the front of the gray t-shirt she was wearing (with a pang, Katma noticed that it was a Marines t-shirt) and was attempting to get up and snatch her mace away from Flash, who was running around the room, trying to pick up the spilled food. "I am gonna........"

"You're not supposed to get out of bed!"

Katma couldn't help it- she laughed out loud. "Flash- over here!" He tossed the mace to her and dashed for the door, his legs a red blur. "No one appriciates my talents....."

"WHAT talents?" Hawkgirl yelled after him, indignant. Then she caught Katma's eye, and the two women began to laugh.

"Sorry you had to see that," Shayera said, matter-of-factly. "He's really a sweet guy, and means well, and I feel bad for yelling at him, but he's........he's........"

"A terrible nurse?"

"I was going to say a speeding disaster, but that works, too." The two laughed again, and Katma handed Shayera her mace. She took it and laid it lovingly on the bed. "Please. Sit with me for a while. All the others are busy, and if I have to hear one of Flash's "mack session" stories again........"

Katma smiled and sat with only a few second's hesitation. The two had formed a tentative truce since Hawkgirl's release from the hospital, and the fact that the woman seemed to hold no grudge against Katma for shooting her made her feel somewhat......obligated to be civil, at least. She had been surprised to find Shayera intelligent, learned- and quite funny.

If it hadn't been for John, they might have been very good friends.

Hawkgirl picked at the blue Watchtower-issued blanket that was now coverin g her legs, apparently having nothing to say. Katma cleared her throat. "Um, how are you feeling? Is everything......all right?"

"My pregnancy is normal, if that's what you mean," Shayera said tartly. "Batman checked me out and said everyhting was okay."

"I did not mean-" Katma was embarassed for a second, then paused. She DID mean the pregnancy- so why pretend? And as long as they were being so direct- "When do you plan on talking to John?"

Hawkgirl's eyes narrowed, and Katma wondered belatedly whether she had violated the unspoken rules of their truce. "What's your business there?"

"John is....my friend, and........" who am I kidding with this touchy-feely stuff? Katma wondered irritably. "Look. Are you still in love with him?" Two can play this honesty game. She felt vindicated when Hawkgirl looked suitably shocked at her question.

"I......." this time, it was Hawkgirl's turn to stammer, and she fixed her eyes on her bedspread once more.

"You are." Katma had never been so sure of anything in her life. It didn't stop the sensation of having a heavy weight punch her in the stomach, though. She ignored the feeling and spoke again.

"You have to tell him that."

Hawkgirl looked up at her in disbelief, as if shocked that Katma would take her non-admission admissoion so calmly. "I........can't. He hates me. And with a good reason....." she squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the anger she'd felt emitting from him even after she'd freed him and Flash.......even after she'd sacrificed herself to Kator's wrath for their sake.......her hand crept involuntarily to her womb as she processed the memory. No one would ever know about THAT. No one........

"He may SAY he hates you.......but he doesn't." Katma's answer was flat, but rang with sincerity. "Trust me on that one."

Hawkgirl blinked. She certianly wasn't expecting THAT comment.

"So you think I should tell him that I........"

"That you what?"

Both women's heads swiveled around to face the doorway, looking for the source of the deep, baritone voice that had just spat out a question.

"John!" Hawkgirl gasped. Katma stood to her feet, clutching her fist at her side. How much had he heard?

John wasn't looking at HER, though. His eyes were fixed on Hawkgirl- or more noticably, on her abdomen.

She looked down, blushed, and covered herself defensively.

"Hawkgirl," he said, and his voice was low and calm, yet scarier than anything that either woman had ever heard.

"What the hell are you not telling me?"