"Aqualad, your communicator went off, why didn't you answer?" Bumblebee asked Aqualad, who was pacing back and forth. They were all waiting for his answer, but stopped when Sapphire came back inside, carrying a large book with her, looking exhausted and depressed. "Sapphire, you're back." Bee said and rushed over to her. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw Sapphire's down face. Sapphire wiped another tear away and looked at Aqualad.

"Why didn't you come?" Sapphire asked him. He bowed his head in shame. "Your people needed you and you didn't show up. I needed you and you didn't show up." She walked up to him. "I fought a hundred Trident clones…alone. Alone!" she yelled at him now, making him jump. "Because of you, Atlantis is left in rubble! People have died! Atlantis is your responsibility! Yet you let it die! You let it die horribly! There is almost nothing left!" and he went to speak up to her but she cut him off. "Oh…and I have some more bad news." And she looked him in the eyes. "Your mother is dead." He looked up at her shocked. "She would be alive if you had come." The whole team went quiet with shock. "She wanted me to tell you that despite the fact that you're the reason for all this…she still loves you. And she wanted me to give you this." And she handed him the book. "It's a shame I was at her death bed without you." And Sapphire stormed off, leaving Aqualad there, dumbfounded and ashamed.

"My mom is dead?" he repeated quietly and bowed his head, letting tears fall.

It was a quiet night. The team felt bad for Aqualad, and yet it was all his fault. Sapphire couldn't take on all the clones by herself and he knew it. Why didn't he answer that call? If he had and just went down, Atlantis would be whole, and his mother would be alive. But e left the weight on Sapphire. Sapphire was utterly disappointed and even more. How could he just turn his back like that? Because of his irresponsibility many people were now suffering. There were no words to express the extent of emotion that everybody was holding.

Aqualad had to know more. He wasn't satisfied with the little bit of information that he had. So he went into Sapphire's room in the middle of the night and tiptoed in. He spotted her sitting on her bed, still awake and just as angry as before. Her back was to him and she refused to turn around. She knew he was there, she heard the door open, she just didn't care.

"Sapphire…"

"Go away Aqualad." She said.

"Please, just tell me. Tell me what happened." He begged. "I need to know."

"It's simple. You didn't show up. History repeated itself." And she drew in a deep breath, "Before your mother died, she told me about what happened to Tempest. How you didn't show up and then he had to die a slow and painful death." Aqualad sighed.

"I never told anyone about what happened. But now that you know, I guess I can tell you." And he walked further in and took and seat on her bed. She still didn't face him. "I was fighting Brother Blood when my communicator went off. I was in the middle of a battle, and I couldn't just walk out, so I ignored the call and continued to fight. I went to Atlantis as soon as I could, but it was too late. Trident and his clones had killed my father. I was too afraid to go back. Everyone who had once seen me as a hero saw me as a traitor. And they're right. Now…my mother is dead for the same reason. I won't know what to do Sapphire." He admitted and then a single tear dropped from his eye. Sapphire saw this and softened. She scooted closer to him, remembering that he was still her team mate, her friend. "I've lost everything. Even the team sees me as a coward now."

"Part of being a man is facing your fears." She said to him. He looked at her with a tear still on his cheek. She reached out one gentle hand and wiped it off. "Aqualad, you have to go back." She said. "Do it for your mother."

"She'd be mad at me."

"No she wouldn't. She is still proud of you."

"How do you know?"

"Because she told me." Sapphire finished. There was silence for a few moments. "What was that book about?"

"It's the history of Atlantis. How it was created and all that stuff."

"Why is it so important?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"When she gave it to me, she said that it was something you needed to know. And me as well. But I don't know what she meant. She died before I could ask her." Aqualad bowed his head again.

"I missed her. I even thought about visiting her sometimes. But going back would be…so different. I can't explain it. When I heard about what happened, I was speechless. But most of all I was angry with myself. I didn't know what everyone would think. I was more concerned with what you would think though." He admitted. Sapphire cocked her head to the side.

"Why is that?"

"Because…because, I don't know. I just…I just feel different around you." Sapphire went silent. "I feel…weird."

"What do you mean?"

"I know this sounds funny but…ever since I saw you…I thought you were beautiful. And then as I got to meet you I just grew closer to you. The truth is…I really like you. Like, like you-like you."

"Aqualad," she started.

"I really care about you. And it's embarrassing because Speedy was making fun of me left and right about how I felt and then I denied it for a long time and now here it is, in the worst possible time, I'm finally telling you and I feel like crap because…" he rambled on until Sapphire placed a finger on his lips and he looked at her.

"Aqualad…that's why you've been acting so strange? You like me?" he nodded, "That's no reason to act different." She removed her finger.

"But you like Robin." He said.

"But I like you more." Sapphire said. Aqualad smiled.

"Really?"

"Really…as a friend." She added.

"Oh." His face dropped again. "So, as nothing more?" she shook her head. "Well, I feel like a real idiot." He said and he got up to walk away.

"Aqualad." She called after him, "This doesn't mean that we could never be…you know." She reminded him. He just smiled a bit and walked to the door.

"Thanks for talking with me."

"I hope you feel a bit better."

"I do."

"Good, now get some rest. You'll need it, we have combat practice tomorrow." She reminded him. He nodded.

"Good night, Sapphire."

"Good night Aqualad." And the door closed behind him. Sapphire sat there for a moment and thought to herself. "He really likes me." She repeated out loud. She snuggled down into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "He really likes me." And she smiled before drifting off to sleep.