Chapter Thirteen ― Wake Me Up (Inside)

"Sometimes, home has a heartbeat."


Arley, having woken up to the smell of Hal's first day of school French toast and the sound of Carol Ferris and John Stewarts laughter threw her covers off of her in such a rush that her left foot tangled and knotted up in the flowery comforter knocked the girl to the floor of her bedroom with a loud thud.

"Arley that you?" Hal called out; Arley flipped onto her back and shook the sheet off of her foot.

"Yeah!" She called out, "Give me a sec, I'll be right there!"

Arley, like she'd been taught in boot camp and by Canary pushed off the ground and to her feet; it was a move Carol had once seen her do and assumed she'd learned from movies. Throwing her bedroom door open and racing to the apartments kitchen― Hal had long ago learned that between her, Barry and Wally and Dick that a no running rule was a moot point ―Arley was greeted with the sight of Carol Ferris' bright white and sparkling smile.

The woman's bob was neatly done and the suit she wore was obviously expensive, as were the heels she was wearing and all in all she looked like the powerhouse CEO she was; she looked almost out of place in the Jordan-Gluck kitchen.

"Hey Carol!" Arley placed a kiss on the woman's cheek and the woman's willowy arms wrapped around Arley's recently unstitched shoulder. Pulling back Arley turned to Hal who already had a plate of French toast ready in hand for her; with a thankful smile the female Lantern took the breakfast and sat next to John, who out of the Mothman mug Dick had gotten for Arley her previous birthday, sipped his very milky and sugary coffee.

Guy had once looked at Johns coffee and sneered at the almost white cup of Joe; 'That,' Guy had once said, 'Isn't coffee, it's a fucking liquid pixie stick.'

"So," Carol started, as Arley began to shovel her French toast into her mouth, "Excited for school?"

"Chew your food," John chimed, and with a dry look Arley paused with a fork full of French toast and― with her mouth closed ―over exaggeratedly chewed the two cheeks full of food already in her mouth. When she was done the young teen looked at Carol,

"Yeah, I'm in mostly AP classes this year-you know, besides math, so it should be fun." Arley loved English and History; she loved how her ring translated all language for her making her French class a breeze for her and she loved how because she was slightly a head of the curve despite all her hero-related absences she started school off during second period, not first, meaning she got to see both Superboy and M'gann off for their first day of school.

"You're a smart girl so I'm sure it will be," Carol said,

"Just maybe tone down the fighting this year?" John smirked. Hal laughed loudly at his and Arley's fellow Lanterns request and Arley shot the man a wry look.

"It's not like I pick those fights," Arley muttered, thinking about the handful of detentions she had gotten the previous school year, "I mean would you rather I stand by and let someone get bullied?"

"I'd like to not almost wring some fathers neck in the parking lot again this year," John said with a smile and Arley grinned at the memory.

Towards the end of her Freshmen year, after Arley had broken a boys nose for calling her and another girl antisemitic slurs, the boys father had tried to corner her and John in the parking lot― though John was a fulltime Lantern and lived on Oa, Hal had business to take care of with the Guardians so when Guy, the second person on Arley's school contact card had been called up, he had called John to pick Arley up from the principles office because he was busy with his own parent-teacher conference that day ―leading to John grabbing the boys father by the front of his shirt and threatening to show the man just the kind of person John really was after the man had tried to grab Arley in order to make John pay attention to him.

"Like father like daughter right?" Carol mused and Arley flushed; her shoulders tightened and she preened at the thought; though her heart clenched as she smiled.

It'd been almost a full business week since her nightmare following the mission in Bialya and while Arley still felt like the bad Lantern― like the useless burden of Lantern she truly thought she was ―she ignored how she felt because heroes didn't have time to wallow and until the Guardians plucked the ring off of her finger that was what she was, a hero, no matter how terrible of a hero she thought she was.

"You got that right," Hal said taking a seat next to Carol; the pilot, though had his own plate of freshly made French toast plucked a cut up syrup drenched square off of Carols plate; the CEO with an offended gasp, glared at the Lantern.

"You have your own food Jordan!"

"Yeah but yours tastes so much better," Hal said stealing another piece, Carol continued to glare at Hal and Arley watched on at the two. If not for her Hal and Carol would probably already be together; if not for his fatherly state-given duty taking him away from Carol the two of them might already have a child or two of their own.

Shoveling another two forkfuls of French toast into her mouth Arley ignored the burning sinking feeling in her gut. Heroes didn't have time to wallow, so Arley soldiered through.

...

Arley had only just finished changing out of her pajamas when Wally called her; the speedster, ever since the mission in Bialya had taken to clinging to Arley; where he would usually just throw an arm around Arley's shoulders the red headed boy had started to wrap an arm around her waist or grab her hand and thread their fingers together, he had even taken to kissing her forehead more, something that though he had only recently started doing quickly became his newest way to say goodbye― and when they were too far to that, such as when Barry and Bruce and Hal and forced Wally to go to school the day after the mission Wally had taken to constantly texting her, sending her wink emoji's and hearts he had never sent before ―and Arley, forever keeping her cards close to her chest was hesitant to enjoy the newfound affection because sooner or later when Wally woke up and smelled roses and realized the kind of hero she was he would leave and the ache that would be her broken heart would destroy her.

"Hey Glowstick," Arley could hear Wally's smile in his voice; Arley sat on her bed as she began to slip on her shoes.

"How's my favorite Genius Boy?" Arley wondered with a smile of her own,

"I'm fine, English sucked though, Mrs. Pincer had us start reading Romeo and Juliet today."

"I hate that play! I mean I don't but like, I hate it," Arley replied with a chuckle.

Romeo and Juliet was something that usually got Arley fired up not because she liked but because as an English nerd, she had a million and one different feelings on the staple of English literature, the first being, it wasn't a romance; it was perhaps, in historical context a comedy― the thought of leaving everything behind for love at the time of the plays conception was laughable ―though looked and compared to how all of Shakespeare comedies ended, it could easily be a tragedy. Which of course it was, two reckless kids died, four other people including Mercutio, who had nothing to do with the Capulet-Montague feud outside of his friend Romeo were killed and for what? Romeo lusting after a thirteen year old?

"I know you do, I actually pointed out the comedy thing when she asked what we all thought it was-a romance or a tragedy." Arley blinked,

"You did?"

"Course I did, it's one of your favorite things to argue about in English; I mean I told her my best friend thought so and she said while you had some solid points it wasn't, so you may now have a fifty-six year old English teacher as an archenemy so sorry about that." Arley laughed, the weight of the mountain that was on her shoulders seemed to crumble as her shoulders shook.

"Thanks for that, it's not like I don't have enough enemies at this point."

"I know," Wally said chuckling, "What's one more at this point."

Arley could hear the shrill ring of a bell in the background and Wally sighed, as though it almost pained him to tear himself away from the phone.

"I'll text you later okay?" Wally murmured into the end of the line.

"Of course, I'll send you a picture of my scheduled after I pick it up; and Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"Have a great day."

"You too Glowstick."

...

Arley found M'gann in the caves kitchen packing together two brown paper bags; both Kaldur and Martian Manhunter were there too, the former leaned against the kitchen isle, resting his weight against his forearms while Manhunter, with his back straight and his hands folded together behind him stood in the corner of the kitchen as M'gann chatted excited about what she hopped she would experience during her first day of Earth school.

"Hey Megs," Arley said, her own backpack thrown over her shoulder as she powered down. Wearing a bright yellow Take me to Yosemite shirt and burnt-orange high wasted shorts that's' cuffed ends stopped mid-thigh Arley looked okay, not nearly as adorable as M'gann in her pretty pink skirt and Mary-Janes did, but okay all the same.

It was no wonder Wally thought the Martian girl was beautiful, she was.

"Arley!" M'gann hugged the Lantern before holding her at arms length, "Hello Megan! It's my first day of school!" Arley couldn't help but laugh at the alien girls excitement; not even Arley who had gone to school as long as she could after running away had ever been that excited for school, though perhaps if she was starting an education on a completely different planet then the one she had grown up on, then she might be.

"I know, Hal and John say good luck."

"Thank you," M'gann smiled and her eyes flickered to the clock on the wall, the doe-like brown eyes widened, "Oh come on, we should go get Superboy it's almost time to go!" Megan said as she grabbed the two finished brown lunch bags from the counter with one hand and Arley's hand with the other towards the caves hanger.

With a happy look thrown over her shoulder to Kaldur, whose look of amusement shinned through onto his usually passive features, Arley followed M'gann as Kaldur and Manhunter followed after them. The four of them found Superboy working on his bike, the Sphere from the Bialyan dessert whirling around the room beeping happily.

"Ready for school?" M'gann wondered as she let go of Arley's hand and floated down the steps to Superboy; Arley had spoken to M'gann and Superboy about what she had seen in the ruins of what had once been the tent, about their almost kiss and while both parties had blushed and shrugged both Superboy and M'gann had told Arley all about their feelings for the other. "I made out lunches."

It was almost sickeningly cute and while Arley was so-so happy both of her friends could find someone she was jealous because Wally, the boy she'd been stuck on for years, was never going to like her back.

Arley's dream― what the dream version of Wally had said to her ―came flooding back and Arley, as as walked down the incline into the hanger gritted her teeth and ignored her thoughts, heroes didn't have time to wallow.

"The first day of a scholastic session carries great cultural resonance. We want to wish you both well." Manhunter said with a hum; and Superboy, though he smiled faintly at Arley― who beamed at the clone boy ―grimaced at the adult Martian as looked at the empty space on the aliens right.

"Guess it's not a Kryptonian thing?" Kaldur fidgeted at the comment and Arley breathed, she eyed the usual Superman-themed shirt the clone wore,

"You know I'm pretty sure Wally and I bought you more then just that kind of shirt," the Lantern said eagerly changing the topic and Kaldur, next to her, nodded.

"Arley is right, you may wish to change before you depart."

"He's right!" M'gann said cheerily to Superboy as she plucked at the hem of her skirt, "I spent hours choosing this outfit last night―" the Martian girl asked the room, "―So what do you think can M'gann M'orzz pass for as an Earth girl now?"

Kaldur smiled half-heatedly, "―Well―"

"―Just kidding!" M'gann laughed, her green skin changed, "Meet Megan Morse!" M'gann turned to Superboy, "What's your new name?"

The clone blinked at the clone, "My what?" Manhunter shifted and his green skin turned dark as his usual uniform changed into a dark blue suit.

"I chose the name John Jones for myself," Manhunter said, "And suggested John Smith for Red Tornado, you could be a John too."

"Pass," Superboy shook his head, and Arley tilted hers,

"I had a foster brother name George once," she said. Arley had had many foster siblings over the years but George had been one of the more memorable ones; he'd been the one to find her on the street one stormy night and lead her to the abandoned warehouse in Gotham, he'd been kind and funny and despite all that since becoming a hero Arley had never tried finding him.

She was selfish; her dream had been right.

Arley's jaw clenched as she breathed and she willed those thoughts from her mind; heroes didn't wallow. Superboy shook his head at the name. M'gann placed a hand on the clones arm,

"Conner's always been my favorite name," she said and Superboy looked down at her, he shrugged acceptingly and Arley bit her tongue in order not to laugh. Kaldur placed his hand on the side of his face,

"A last name will also be required," the team leader said.

"Perhaps Kent," Manhunter said; Arley, knowingly turned to disguised alien.

"Oh!" M'gann breathed, "In memory of Dr. Fate, the late Kent Nelson."

No that wasn't why but Arley kept that to herself, she peeked up at Manhunter as he shifted back to his usual form and the alien smirked down at Arley; he knew that out of all of the team it was only she and Dick who knew most of the League members identities, Superman's being one of the ones they both knew, but why wouldn't she know Superman's identity, she'd been a hero for several years, Arley doubted there weren't more then a handful of League members she didn't know.

"Sure," Superboy― Conner ―said, "I guess it's be an honor or something." With a smile Arley nodded,

"Great, well then Conner," Arley said testing the name out, "Time to change, come on."

"But I like this shirt," he protested.

"You don't want to reveal your identity, do you?" M'gann wondered rhetorically; and with a sigh Conner nodded, he looked at Arley.

"Help me pick something out?" He asked and Arley with a bright smile nodded; and with that, as M'gann turned to her uncle and Kaldur, Arley and Conner began to walk towards the clone boys room.

...

Coast City's James H Doolittle high school was ten minutes from the beach, walking and had been built up from the one room school house it'd originally been at the cities founding in the nineteenth century amidst the gold rush.

Walking up, past the schools iron gates and into the cobblestone courtyard and into a state sanctioned thunder dome; there was already a crowd surrounding the flagpole, kids cheering and chanting and Arley knew it was either the seniors from the k-pop club and the dance gym classes students kick off the school year, or a fight.

The answer was quickly fleshed out when Christopher Knoll a dorky boy― with thick bottle cap glasses and a buzz cut ―that Arley had saved from being jumped after school ran up to her, next to him Kitty Wendell, a quite blonde girl Arley knew― and liked ―from stage crew panted as she hunched forward, the blondes backpack looked like it was more then double her weight.

"Ned's got Gordon!" Christopher said as he pointed to the flagpole.

Ned Parker was the biggest bully in all of James H Doolittle high school, being the Captain of the wrestling team and the shining star to the schools ROTC program the senior was the picture of peaking in high school and Arley doubted― because life wasn't fair ―that it was all down hill after there for the boy. Ned Parker was also the boys whose nose she had broken the year before, the son of the father whose ass John had nearly kicked in the parking lot.

The Lantern sighed; "Right of course he dose."

Surging forward Arley pushed through the crowd that chanted at Gordon― a thin, stick like junior who didn't really talk to anyone asides from his boyfriend Christopher ―to 'Eat it'and saw that Ned Parker had Gordon hanging upside down as he pushed the weaker boy face into the muddy flower bed that surrounded the flagpole.

"Hey Gluck come to get a picture?" Ned Parker taunted as he once more shoved Gordon's face into the mud, the weaker boy spluttered and put his hands out to protect him.

"Put him down Ned," Arley said; the crowd continued to chant at Gordon to eat the mud and Arley felt both Kitty Wendell and Christopher Knoll still behind her, "Now."

"Take a picture and I will," Ned Parker smirked; "I'm thinking it'll go in the year book." He then shoved Gordon against the muddy ground again and Arley moved; she slid her backpack off of her shoulders and swung it at Ned Parkers head. Ned inelegantly, dropped Gordon as he dodged the flying pink backpack and the boy groaned as his body hit the ground.

"Do you want me to kick your ass Gluck?" Ned Parker sneered,

"You know you said that last year and I still broke your nose, didn't I?" Arley loudly demanded to know as she dropped her backpack; Kitty grabbed the pink backpack as Christopher scurried over to his boyfriend and helped the shaggy haired junior up to his feet.

Ned Parker had only taken a step forward when Agnes Rispoli, one of the schools English teachers stepped into the fray, in front of Arley and between the young hero and Ned Parker. Mrs. Rispoli was a tiny woman with thin grey hair and a bedazzled cane she had jeweled herself one boring day; she was also Arley's favorite teacher.

"Is there a problem here Mr. Parker?" The teacher asked, her voice hard and argumentative. The gym teachers liked Ned Parker, the ROTC instructor loved the boy and probably though the sun revolved around him, as did the few math teachers who were all coaches for different sports teams Ned Parker played on; Agnes Rispoli however, did not.

The boys face twisted as if he'd sucked on a fresh lemon.

"No ma'am."

Mrs. Rispoli turned at the waist and looked at Arley who shook her head. Arley had quickly learned her freshmen year that there was never any real recourse for people like Ned Parker, yeah sure you were supposed to report bullying but when you did the school did nothing.

"Well then," the English teacher said as she surveyed the thinning crowd; everyone knew Mrs. Rispoli could all but actually spit fire, "I suppose we should all be heading inside to pick up our schedules then, shouldn't we?"

Apparently Arley went to school with magicians because almost instantaneously the only people left near the high schools flagpole were Mrs. Rispoli, Arley, Christopher Knoll and Gordon and Kitty Wendell. Arley's teacher turned to her,

"What was that all about Arley?"

"Parker was being an a-er," Arley choked because no matter how cool she was with her teacher she couldn't just swear― especially since the swear on the tip of her tongue had been one she'd picked up from another planet ―in front of them. "He was being a jerk, that's all."

Mrs. Rispoli looked at Christopher, Gordon and Kitty, all of whom pointedly avoided the woman's gaze. The English teacher sighed knowing she wasn't going to get any real answers from any of the four students in front of her.

"Alright head on in to pick up your schedules, and Arley?" The Lantern paused as she and the other three students had turned towards the school, "I'll see you fifth." Arley smiled,

"You see fifth period Mrs."

...

Iris West and Lois Lane were the two reporters the League always went to but that didn't mean Arley had never met Kat Grant before; the blonde reporter had interviewed Arley dozens of times after international incidents the young Lantern had been around for, and even, when the cameras were turned off, had flirted with Guy.

In Arley's third period AP World History, with the newly installed Smart-board the young Lantern watched the blonde Daily Planet reporter live from the UN talks Lex Luther was mediating.

"If Lex Luthors unknown strategy for peace fails the two Rhelasias are looked at all-out war before morning."

Arley and John and Hal should have been there to talk things over between both Rhelasias'― they, after all were the sectors Lanterns and keepers of intergalactic peace ―not the billionaire super villain who constantly tried to murder Superman and take over the world solely because he was white and rich and his IQ was above average and that gave him the right to do as he pleased.

Mr. Yukimura― a young looking Korean man who wore the ugliest yellow tie Arley had ever seen ―paused the news report there as he surveyed the class. "Who can tell me about the two Rhelasias?" He wondered and Arley threw her hand up in the air.

"Miss. Gluck."

"There's both a North and a South Rhelasia, modern Rhelasia was founded and created in eighteen-fifty-five and ruled by the, uh―" Arley shut her eyes as she tried to remember the proper pronunciation, "―By the Boquoon Dynasty until it was cut up and divided by Allied powers following World War Two despite being only a minor player in the war, North Rhelasia is a communist country that sided with Russia during the Cold War and has since stopped all trade with non-allied countries while South Rhelasia is a democratic republic that's currently on the forefront to some of the biggest medical breakthroughs in this century so far."

"Know it all," someone hissed from the back of the room and Arley clenched her pencil tighter in her hand; Mr. Yukimura smiled though, clearly impressed.

"Very good Miss. Gluck."

...

Arley didn't have friends at school, at least, not really. There were kids she spoke too from the drama club and kids like Gordon she saved from Ned Parker and his cronies but there was no one Arley took home or spoke boys too because if she did let some teenage civilian in then she was going to have to start lying to them every time a mission with the team or the Corps came up and Arley didn't want to do that, she had hated doing it to Wally before he'd found out about her secrete identity.

And yet at her locker between fifth and sixth period was Xavier Logan; he was a tall dark skinned boy who most girls simply drooled over because of his sharp jaw and grey eyes, he was also the boy who Arley had threaten to strangle to death if he hadn't started pulling his weight in their History project the year before.

Somehow after that the boy had taken to following Arley around between classes.

"Yo tiny," Xavier greeted, an easy going smirk shined down at her as Arley opened her locker and the girls tongue poked the inside of her cheek because she wasn't tiny she was five-five which was a perfectly average height for a girl. "How's it going?"

"Okay I guess, got called a nerd in History and I almost kicked Ned Peters ass this morning but besides that I'm peachy," Arley drawled, she looked up at the taller boy, "What about you, how's that going?"

"I just made out with Andrea Sherbet last period so," the boy smiled cockily, "It's going really well." Arley snorted in disgust,

"It's literally the first day back and you're skipping to make out with someone under the bleachers?" Arley placed her AP World History and AP English textbooks into the locker, as well as her Earth Science textbook and her Math one. She rolled her shoulders at the lightened weight.

"You sound jealous," Xavier said leaning down and Arley kicked the boys skin with the toe of her sneaker as he got too close for comfort; the boy jerked back and lifted his leg up with a hiss, "Jesus Christ woman!"

Unapologetic Arley looked up at the boy as she closed her locker, "What have I said about not being my type?"

"I'm everyone's type," Xavier said placing his leg back onto the ground and Arley let out a bubbled laugh at that because no he wasn't; her type was dorky science genius' that had red hair and emerald green eyes and obviously didn't like her back. "Anyway," Xavier rolled his eyes, "What's your next class?"

"Gym," Arley shrugged, she had weight lifting gym as opposed to swim gym or dance gym.

"So you're telling me next period you're going to get all hot and sw―" Arley cut Xavier off with a second, much harder kick to the shin before turning away and storming down the hall. Arley didn't have friends at school and even if she did Xavier Charles wouldn't have been one of them.

...

Arley had cut her seventh period Lunch to fly to the Mount Justice cave where though Kaldur obviously wasn't― both Wally and Dick had texted her in gym to ask if they knew Kaldur was on a solo team up mission with Roy at the Rhelasian peace conference ―M'gann and Conner both where.

With the time difference between Rhode Island and California it was already nearly dark by the time the Lantern got to the secrete Justice League base despite it being only three back in the sunshine state. Arley found both teens, along with Dick and Artemis in the library working on homework.

"How was school?" Arley wondered dropping her own backpack onto one of the oak tables as she sat between both Dick and Artemis, M'gann smiled, the Martian girl practically bounced in her seat as she leaned forward.

"It was great! I made the cheer leading team!" Arley clasped her hands together,

"That's great, Megs, congrats!" Arley turned to Superboy, "And what about you Conner?" She wondered using the boys new name; the clone smiled at the name, something he had never had before. "You make the football team or something?"

"No, and I'm not going to."

"It's probably for the best," Dick said with a wry smirk, "I mean with your powers you'd probably accidentally decapitate a kid." Conner shot Dick an unamused look, The blonde archer on Arley's other side however shot the usually caped look a horrified one as she leaned over the table and looked at the teams youngest member.

"Jesus Rob!" Artemis hissed.

"What about you?" M'gann asked Arley, "How was your first day?" Ned Parker flashed though Arley's mind and the Lantern shrugged.

"Same old."

"Hello beautiful!"

Arley with a sinking heart― because M'gann, he was talking about M'gann ―and the others turned to see Wally with his navy blue bag over his shoulders burst into the room, Wally beamed at Arley, who's eyes he had focused on first, as he walked into the room; the boy hung his backpack off of the back of Arley's chair as he easily pulled it and Arley out and away from the table. With a knock of his foot Wally nudged the toe of his converse against Arley's and the girl― without even having to be a mind reader ―stood up so Wally could slide into her seat, and sat back down, perched on the ends of the speedsters bony knees.

Arley ignored her burning cheeks and her teammates pointed looks— because she knew what their looks were alluding too and they were wrong, Wally didn't like her the way she liked him —as Wally wrapped one arm around her waist and threw his other over the back of Dicks chair.

"So?" Wally wondered, "What are we talking about?"

"School," Artemis said looking between him and Arley before turning to the green skinned girl in front of her, "Megan joined her schools cheer team." The archer scrunched up her nose at the words cheer team and from behind Arley's back Wally's brows raised,

"I'm sorry do you have something against cheerleaders?" Artemis' cheeks pinked,

"No," Artemis denied, "I just, I bet you've never even spoke to a cheerleader before." Wally pointed looked at M'gann and Artemis shot the speedster and calico smirk the speedster wore a glare, "Not Megan Baywatch."

"My Chem partner's a cheerleader," Wally said, "We talk."

"Outside of class?" Artemis wondered and Arley turned to Dick who with an amused expression was watching the archer and speedster go back and forth.

"I mean, she asked for the notes yesterday," Wally blinked, and Artemis, with a victorious gleam in her eyes, smirked.

"Thought so." Arley looked at M'gann as Wally shot something back at Artemis.

"So besides the cheer team, anything else, make any new friends?" Arley wondered and both M'gann and Conner shared a shifty eyed look between themselves.

"No not really, I mean Superb-er Conner almost got into an argument with someone but our Civics teacher Mr. Carr broke it up before it became a problem." Dicks head snapped away from from Wally and Artemis' argument and Arley's brows rose at the mention of both the clone boys and alien girls Civics teacher.

"Carr?" Dick repeated, "Like―" The dark haired teen shared a look with Arley, "―Lucas Carr?"

M'gann frowned and Conner shrugged.

Arley's brows dipped forward and the girl frowned; she'd only met him once or twice but Snapper, or rather Lucas Carr, had been the whole reason the League had to build a secrete Watchtower base in the sky, It was his carelessness that had put lives of the still newly formed Justice League in danger. It had been his fault Hal had found himself toe-to-toe with Gotham's crazed criminal clown and the Clowns equally villainous friends.

"Dunno why?" Conner wondered.

"No reason," Arley said with a shake of her head, because it had to be a coincidence; there was no way the League would condone M'gann and Conner to be in the presence of someone as careless and reckless as Snapper. "It's nothing."

Neither Conner nor M'gann seemed to buy it but just as M'gann had opened her mouth to say something John Stewart burst into the Mount Justice Library― Dick had grabbed several birdarings from the utility belt he had wrapped around his skinny jeans and Artemis had jumped over the table to her own backpack; Arley and M'gann had shot into the air and Wally had only just slipped his goggles on when all six teens realized the person who had barreled through the library doors was Earths forth Lantern ―Johns eyes were wide and hopeful and he was smiling.

"John?"

"Guys awake." Arley lowered herself to the ground― the other teens in the room seemed to freeze at John Stewarts words ―but it had felt like she was falling; she walked up to the ex-Marine her mouth open and her eyes blown wide with hope; with fear. If this was a dream then she would wake up and Guy Gardener wouldn't and she would be crushed.

"What?"

John put his hands on Arley's shoulders and the girl looked up at him; "Guy woke up an hour ago, Batman, Dinah and Manhunter, they all just cleared him for visitors."

Awake, Guy Gardener was awake almost a full year after his coma. Awake.

"Go," Arley breathed, "We need to―" Arley turned to swipe her bag from the table only for it, and Wally, to be in front of her before she could process it; her fingers were already wrapped around the pink shoulder straps, Wally's hand covered hers. "He's awake!" Guy Gardener was awake and okay; he was awake.

Wally dipped his head forward and with a quick and chaste kiss to the crown of her head Wally pulled back with a beaming smile;

"Tell him I said hi." Guy was back.

...

Arley and John hadn't waited for the door to fully open before stumbling into the room; Hal was already there at Guy Gardeners side, as was Katma-Tui and Kilowog, neither of whom were actually Justice League members but two people who cared deeply for the sectors third Lantern.

Arley hadn't meant to but she bursted out into tears at the sight of Guy Gardner; the mans hair was shaggier then he would have ever had let it grow out had he not been in a coma but his bright bluebell eyes were open and he was smiling and he was there, awake.

Guy looked at John and then at Arley and the mans smile seemed to grow at the sight of her; the last time he had seen her, her hair had been longer and she had been four inches shorter then she was then.

"Holy fuck you grew didn't you Nightlight?" Nightlight; it was the annoying nickname Guy had given her after meeting, when Hal had welcomed the red headed man into the Green Lantern Corpse Guy had pointed at a nine year old Arley and wondered, 'If we're Lanterns dose that mean this pipsqueak is a goddamn nightlight?'

Awake, Guy Gardener's awake.

"Guy!" Arley threw herself at the man, her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her middle and Arley sobbed in relief as she hugged him tighter. Back, Guy Gardener was back, he was awake.