CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Do I have to?" Shayera half whined, dragging her feet a little as John tried to coax her to the area where Supergirl would be picking them up. The original Justice League had decided that they stood a better chance of finding the children if they had brought in the entire League. Shayera had agreed, but was nervous about meeting the Justice League that had been rebuilt because of her betrayal.
"Shy, come on." John said with a smile, pulling her into his arms. "It'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" She asked, burying her face in his chest.
"Yes, I'm positive." John told her, lifting her chin so that he could look into her eyes, then kissing her gently. Or at least he meant it to be gentle.
But Shayera wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth over his. John surrendered to Shayera and kissed her back, holding her tight against his chest. He finally pulled back, gulping air desperately while Shayera smirked at him. John laughed at the look on her face.
"Damn those Thanagarian lungs of yours." He teased. Shayera laughed and pulled him in for another kiss, this one sweet and slow.
"Get a room." A young voice snapped. Shayera and John both pulled away, and John looked over Shayera's shoulder at the short blonde standing there with her hands on her hips.
"Your late." He snapped back before he could stop himself. He liked Supergirl, he really did. But the way she was glaring at the two of them annoyed him. Shayera also turned to face the voice, staying inside John's embrace.
"I'm Shayera Hol." Shayera said a little tentatively. Supergirl's eyes shot open wide, then narrowed.
"I know who you are. You're the traitor who tried to deliver Earth on a silver platter to your boyfriend."
"Kara!" Superman's shocked voice suddenly said from behind the small blonde, causing her to jump at least three feet in the air. John tried unsuccessfully to stop a snicker from escaping from his lips, and Shayera made an odd choking noise that told John she was also trying not to laugh. "Stop it Kara. We were wrong to judge Shayera so harshly four year ago. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation. So stop it."
"Okay Clark." Kara said, hanging her head. Superman smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder.
"Now apologize to Shayera."
Kara looked up at Shayera, regret showing clearly in her eyes. "Shayera, I'm really sorry. I really am. I had no business saying that. I was totally out of line. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Shayera told the younger super heroine with a smile. "I was beating myself up the same way after it happened. You didn't say anything I hadn't already thought of."
"Friends?" Kara asked, holding out her hand.
"Friends." Shayera said, taking the teenagers hand. Kara beamed at the older heroine, then hugged her impulsively. Shayera was a little surprise, yet hugged her back, a little awkwardly.
"Okay Kara, break it up." John teased, pulling Shayera back into his arms. Shayera laughed at his possessiveness.
"Ignore him Kara. He's a little weird."
"Shayera! John!" Flash zoomed up, scaring Kara so much that she jumped up into the air and stayed there, hovering.
"What wrong Kara?" Flash teased, "Not used to me yet, even after more than four years?"
"What's up Flash?" John asked, hoping to head off a fight between the two. Flash turned serious.
"J'onn sent me. He says he's found the twins."
"WHAT?!" Shayera and John yelled. Flash nodded, then pointed back towards Bruce's house.
"He's in the Batcave. He sent me out to find. . ." John and Shayera were suddenly gone. ". . .you." Flash finished. He looked around, confused. "Where'd they go?" Kara laughed as she landed next to her scarlet clad teammate.
"Flash, sometimes you can be really. . ." She trailed off, not quite sure how to continue without hurting her friends feelings.
"Cute?" Flash questioned, winking at the blonde. She laughed and shook her head.
"Cute, but stupid." Kara teased before flying off.
Flash shook his head, then ran to the Batcave where he had left Bats and John. John and Shayera were already there, Shayera looking a little white and gripping John, who was also swaying a little.
"You really found them?" She asked J'onn. He nodded, then turned to Bats computer, which showed a map of New York.
"Their in New York?" John asked, looking at the map while he held Shayera.
"Their in the air above New York." J'onn told them. "But I picked up the twins communicating with each other."
"'Communicating?'" John asked.
"Sometimes the twins. . . talk to each other." Shayera tried to explain. John looked at her, and Shayera knew she wasn't doing a good job of explaining. "As in telepathically." She turned back to J'onn and Batman. "Why are we still discussing this? Can we go?"
Less than ten minutes later, they were on their way, in one of the new Javelins. Her and John were in the back seat, tightly gripping hands, while Batman flew and J'onn navigated. Sensing her stiffness, Batman spoke up.
"Hawkgirl, how do you know Nick?"
"They found me collapsed on their roof, pregnant, injured and dangerously ill. Of course, they recognized me from the news, but they took a chance. Nick and Sara took me in and nursed me, hiding me from the public eye and opened their hearts and home to me." Shayera said with a smile, leaning against John's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her.
"I, for one, am glad they did." He whispered in her ear. Shayera smiled up at him, then turned back to Batman.
"I was going to move out when the twins were born, but Nick and Sara wouldn't hear of it. They love the twins and spoil them rotten at every opportunity, and the twins call them aunt and uncle." She tilted her head to the side and studied Batman's profile. "How do you know Nick?"
"What makes you think I know Nick King?"
"You knew his name without asking me, and he called you Brucey-boy, and you called him because you said that my bracelet had to be his handiwork."
Batman shook his head. He'd forgotten that Shayera was also a detective. "Nick and I grew up in the same social circles and went to the same boarding schools. His parents were friends with mine before they died, and after the death of my parents, Nicks parents used to let me spend weekends with them. Nick always excelled at swimming and loved to tinker with electronics. The minute I saw what your bracelet could do, I knew that Nick had to have had a hand in inventing it. It's just something he would do, just to see if he could."
"He could." Shayera said, smiling down at her bracelet. John ran his fingers over it, and Shayera smiled at him.
"Coming up on the ship." J'onn's voice said.
"Activating cloaking." Batman responded, instantly. Shayera held her breath as they neared the ship. When they weren't attacked, she sighed as J'onn carefully and silently attached the Javelin to the side of the ship with magnets.
"You'll have to use your ring to get us in John." Batman said.
"Not a problem." John said, his voice even and cold. "That bastard has my children. Wild horses couldn't keep me out of there."
"He has our children." Shayera, or rather Hawkgirl, said. John looked over and saw that she had pulled on her mask and was holding her mace, a little awkwardly with her injured wrist. But the look in Hawkgirl's eyes let John know that she would not stand by while her children were in danger.
John nodded and activated his ring brightly, allowing his costume to flow over his body, covering the jeans and tee shirt he had been wearing. When the light faded, the Green Lantern nodded at his winged lover. Hawkgirl nodded back.
"Ready?" Batman asked.
"Ready." The other three replied.
"Lets go. I've contacted the rest of the League. They'll be here shortly."
J'onn floated out of the Javelin, while the Green Lantern carefully used his ring to float everyone else out of the Javelin and up against the side of the ship. Hawkgirl climbed onto his back, and J'onn held Batman while the Green Lantern deactivated his bubble, and then used his ring to cut a hole in the side of the ship. Once they were in, he used his ring to seal up the hole. The four had just started to travel down the hall when they all heard a young girl's voice.
"Let go! Let me go, you sick twisted creep!"
"Haylynn!" Shayera screamed out, running down the hall before anyone could stop her.
"Shayera!" Green Lantern yelled out, running after her.