Chapter Twenty-five ― Gratitude

"We don't need to be related to relate, we don't need to share genes or a surname; you are my chosen family."


When Artemis had told Arley that the reason she and her mother lived in Gotham while her uncle Green Arrow lived in Star City was because her mother and uncle weren't talking to one another at the moment Arley hadn't blinked at the lie. She'd been hurt of course― Arley wanted to shake Artemis until it sunk into the archers thick skull; she wasn't going anywhere, that no matter what Arley would be in her corner ―but she hadn't even blinked.

Artemis would come clean when she wanted to; so Arley simply met her teammate and her teammates mother on the roof of their building. Artemis had a bulky looking cooler on the roof between her and her mother.

"Hey Arty, Happy Thanksgiving," Arley smiled.

"Happy Thanksgiving Arley," Artemis said as she and the Lantern hugged, when the two girls pulled away from one another, Arley looked down at the white and blue striped sweater the archer was wearing.

"Cute sweater," she complemented, Artemis beamed; neither girl liked fashion as much as their other teammates― M'gann and Zatanna ―but that didn't mean they didn't care for it, it just meant that neither girl flipped though fashion magazines the same way their friends did, with stars in their eyes and intrigued smiles on their faces.

Arley, as she side stepped Artemis, smiled at the archers mother, she stuck her hand out to the older Vietnamese woman, Artemis' mother grabbed Arley's hand and shook it.

"Hi Mrs. Crock, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Artemis has told me much about you," the older woman said, "Thank you for befriending my daughter, it is important for me to know she has someone out there watching her back."

"Mom," Artemis muttered embarrassed, Arley laughed, she shook her head.

"There's no reason to thank me ma'am, Artemis is great and she has my back like I have hers-I should be the thankful one here."

"Still," Mrs. Crock said, "Thank you, and thank you and your family for inviting Artemis and I for dinner."

"That's no problem, Hal and I are more then happy to host as many people as possible; in our line of work we've learned family and friends are important." Mrs. Crock smiled at the Lantern and Arley turned to Artemis.

"I heard you finally passed Bats' flying test."

"I did," Artemis said proudly; Arley looked to the empty section of the roof and she held her hand out and slowly a small plane formed from Arley's ring; the construct glowed a bright green and Mrs. Crock marveled at the sight while Artemis looked at Arley.

"You're going to let me fly?"

"As long as you carry that cooler aboard, why not?" Artemis lunged at Arley and wrapped her arms around the girls neck as she hugged the Lantern.

"Thank you, thank you, Thank you!" Mrs. Crock's laughter ran out over the Gotham apartments.

...

Arley and the Crocks landed the glowing construct Arley had formed with her ring just outside of Fawcett City; Billy Batson in a pair of slacks and a tuck in t-shirt stood next to an older, pot-bellyed man. Like Artemis and Mrs. Crock had, had between the the Batson-Dudley pair had two large coolers between them, stack on top of one another.

Billy had said his uncle had long ago― before retiring ―worked as chief in a five star kitchen.

Artemis and Mrs. Crock stayed onboard as Arley willed the back of the airplane to open so that she could meet the excited eleven year old Justice League member and his uncle.

"Arley!"

"I heard about the vote, congrats!" Arley said brightly and she opened up her arms so that she could hug the younger boy. Billy jumped into the girls outstretched arms, his arms wrapped around Arley's waist and Arley didn't hesitate to grab onto the back of the boys shirt as she spun him around; the pair laughed as Arley slowly came to a stop and the boy stumbled back into his uncle.

Arley, with a wide smile, held out her hand, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Dudley."

Dudley Dudley― Arley and Hal had both laughed when Billy had told them his uncles name ―took Arley's hand in his and firmly shook the young Lanterns hands with a smile of his own.

"Thank you for inviting us, it means a lot to Billy."

"It dose!" Billy nodded with a smile.

"And it means a lot you guys are coming, really," Arley said, she looked at the younger boy and then at the two coolers, "You're going to need to get those dude, I have to concentrate on not dropping Arty and her mom to the ground."

Billy's eyes got wide and his cheeks stained red, "Artemis is in there?"

Arley bit back the teasing grin she wanted to aim in the eleven year olds direction; Arley thought his crush on the archer was adorable, Wally thought it was hilarious and Artemis thought they were wrong, she didn't believe Billy had a starry-eyed crush on her.

"Yup." Billy turned to his uncle and he fidgeted with his shirt before he stepped back;

"Shazam!" Lighting struck and suddenly Billy Batson as he had just been was no longer standing in the field just outside the Pennsylvanian city; instead, in his red costume and with his billowing white cape the hero the world knew as Captain Marvel stood where Billy Batson had been.

The hero straightened and he half turned to Arley and his uncle; "Do you guys think Artemis saw me?"

Arley peaked over her shoulder to see Mrs. Crock staring out the window of the plane Arley had constructed with an open mouth, and she could see Artemis smirking over her mothers shoulder.

"Yeah," Arley nodded, "She saw."

Captain Marvel fist pumped at his waist before he moved to pick up both coolers with an ease that had alluded Artemis back a top the archers building. Arley couldn't help but― fondly ―roll her eyes as Captain Marvel puffed up his chest on his way to the glowing green plane.

Arley looked at the heroes smirking uncle and snickered to herself.

...

Artemis had landed Arley's construct where the Lantern had told her too, which was just a few yards away from the white van that was oddly parked in the dessert outside of Coast City.

Wally West leaned against the front of the van, his arms were crossed over his chest and his hair had been blown back from the engines of Arley's construct, and the Lantern paused mid-step as she descend from the plane just so she could gape at the speedster.

People always talked about Kid Flashs' speed and people always marveled about Wally West's brain but no one ever spoke about his smile or his eyes or his shoulders and perhaps he wasn't the most handsome boy on the planet but to Arley, there was no one more attractive in the universe.

"You know," Artemis said into the Lanterns ear as she crept up behind Arley; Billy had turned back into Captain Marvel and had all three large coolers either resting on his shoulder or tucked underneath his arms. The Leaguer carried all three to the van; he greeted Wally with a smile, "I hope you can use your ring to form new panties cause I think you just ruined yours."

Arley's arms flew back as she elbowed the half-Vietnamese girl in the stomach.

"I hate you," Arley declared as Artemis snickered. "You're the worst!"

Arley started forward and Artemis― laughing ―reached out to Arley,

"No come on, I was joking!"

Mr. Dudley and Mrs. Crock slowly emerged from the plane and once they were both fully off of the construct Arley recalled it back into her ring and willed a flat trail from where Mrs. Crocks wheelchair was to the van Wally had driven out to them. Artemis' mother shot the blonde a wry look and the archer smiled far too innocently back at her.

Wally turned as Arley approached him and the speedster wrapped an arm around the Lanterns waist as her uniform faded; with the thick heels Arley was wearing― the ones Carol had given her for her birthday ―the Lantern reached the bridge of the speedster nose instead of the curve of his jaw she had grown to reach.

"Happy Thanksgiving babe," Wally murmured as he looked at Arley; the Lantern had her hands pressed against his chest. Arley pressed a firm― but quick ―kiss to the boys lips, when she pulled away Wally smiled tenderly at her.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Arley stepped back, she turned so that while Wally's arm was still around her waist she was looking at the four other people she had flown across the country, "Wally this is Artemis' mom Mrs. Crock and Billy's uncle Dudley."

Wally beamed at the two adults and his arm slipped from around Arley's waist as he moved to stand next to her, his hand was outstretched.

"It's nice you meet you, I'm Wally." Billy's uncle grabbed the red headed teens hand and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet Batmans partner," Billy's uncle said; Artemis snorted from her mothers side. Mr. Dudley too his hand back and Wally placed his on Arley's hip, his cheeks were a bright pink.

"I'm not Robin sir."

"Sorry," the man said bashfully, Captain Marvel shut the vans back doors and approached the group, his clapped Wally's shoulder,

"He's actually the Flash's partner uncle Dudley." The salt and peppered haired man snapped his fingers,

"Right Speedy!" Wally hung his head forward as Artemis laughed much more unabashedly; Arley swallowed her laughter.

"Uh-Kid Flash uncle Dudley," Billy said and the man froze as heat flooded his face.

"Sorry kid." Wally nodded,

"It's okay, it's better then Green-bean," Wally contended and Arley glared up at her boyfriend as he reminded her of the mistake a reporter from Central City had made early on in his heroing career. Roy had never let her live it down; nor had the ex-side kick ever let Arley live down the retort she had had fired back at the reporter.

"I swear to Nortz one day I'm going to smother you," Arley said and Wally pecked the very tip of the girls nose, Arley ignored her twitching smile.

Pushover, Aniell laughed.

So what? Arley thought back, I love him.

"You're the best babe."

...

Hal Jordan, Barry Allen and John Stewart were all waiting on the curb outside of the apartment building Arley, Hal and― to be honest ―Guy all lived; Arley had gotten shotgun, and Wally who had driven the van the sector leader had borrowed from a civilian work friend, smiled at the three men as the van parked in front of them.

"Had a good flight?" Hal asked with a grin as he peeked through the drivers-side window, Arley nodded,

"Oh yeah there were peanuts and everything." Over Hals shoulder John, with a laugh, rolled his eyes. The vans back door opened and Billy Batson was the first to jump out, he looked at Hal,

"Hey Hal!" Billy said with a grin and Hal reached over― as Arley got out of the van herself ―and ruffled the young boys hair despite the eleven year olds whine.

"Hey kiddo." Billy pouted up at Hal,

"So uncool man." Hal laughed as the boys uncle got out of the van after him; Wally, as the two men shook hands got out of the van and moved to the back where they had put not only Mrs. Crocks wheelchair but the large coolers.

Arley opened the door that was on the street and Mrs. Crock smiled at the Lantern as Artemis leaned forward from the vans third row of seating. John and Barry, as Hal and Mr. Dudley continued to speak, began to help Wally unload the back of the van; the young speedster though, once he'd gotten the older woman's chair out of the back he had used his speed to open it back up and lock it.

He then passed Arley the keys and the Lantern tucked them into her back pocket.

Arley; after Mrs. Crock had undone her seat belt, placed one hand on the woman's back and pivoted her towards the street before slowly lifting her out of the car and placing her back into her chair.

"Thank you," Mrs. Crock said as Artemis rolled over the middle row of seats and nearly fell onto the vans floor.

"You're welcome."

Artemis got out of the van and once John and Barry each had a cooler in their arms, and Wally and Billy, had a cooler between them Arley then locked the van shut with a click of a button.

Artemis pushed her mother up onto the curb; Hal, Barry and John looked at the wheelchair bound woman and Hal stepped forward, away from Mr. Dudley.

"You're Paula?" The woman nodded and for a moment everything was tense; the two adults seemed to be having a silent conversation between each other. After a moment Hal stuck out his hand to her. Paula Crock blinked before looking up at him; she took it after a moment. "I'm Hal, it's nice to meet Artemis' mother-you have a very lovely daughter there."

Prideful at Hals complement, the woman grinned, "I do, but so do you, Artemis has told much about Arley. I am lucky my daughter has her."

"The team's lucky to have Artemis," Hal said and Paula Crock and Hal Jordan's hands dropped, Hal pointed to John and Barry; "That's John and Barry; John's like me and Arley."A Green Lantern, went unsaid.

Paula Crock nodded and she looked up at Artemis who still had her hands wrapped around the handles of her mothers wheelchair; she smiled― beamed ―up at the archer and Artemis smiled down at her mother, and when the mother-daughter pair was done with their wordless exchange Arley and Hal lead the group to the elevator in the lobby; Arley and Hal didn't live in the projects but more often then not their building reminded Arley of a nicer version of something she would find in downtown Gotham.

Arley looked to Hal as they all loaded into the elevator; John readjusted his grip on the cooler her had in his arms.

"Is Guy almost done making the stuffed mushrooms?"

"Why do you want to know?" Hal asked with a grin, "So you can eat them all again?"

Wally snickered. John smirked as Arley ducked her head in order to hide her shameful grin.

"That happened once," Arley said; Mrs. Crock looked up at Hal,

"When she was four Artemis once snuck into the kitchen of our old home and ate an entire plate of shrimp under the dinning room table; she was sick for hours afterwards."

"Mom!" Artemis blushed; Wally grinned, he leaned forward, away from Arley and towards the archer, his gaze though was locked on the archers mother,

"You know Mrs. Crock if there's any other stories you have of little Artemis, feel free to share."

"I swear to god Baywatch I'm going to break you next week in training," Artemis muttered and the speedster simply smiled impishly at the archer as the elevator came to a slow at the top floor of the building.

"Bring it on Robin Hood," Wally said as the elevator door opened up.

Mrs. Crock was the first one out of the elevator, Billy and Artemis― both of whom had grabbed the container the younger boy and Wally had carried into the elevator ―and Mr. Dudley followed suit and though Arley had to press the open doors button when they began to close, she and Wally were the next ones out after John and Barry leaving Hal, who had pressed himself to the side of the elevator, to be the last one off.

Arley moved to the front of the heard and guided the five new guests down the hall to the apartment on the left; Arley hadn't even managed to get her key all the way into the door when M'gann threw open the Jordan-Gluck apartment door and almost tackled the Lantern to the carpeted hallway floor.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" M'gann said excitedly as she pulled away from the dark haired girl; the Martian girls red ponytail swished as she moved to hug Artemis. Arley could see Kaldur speaking to Jay Garrick in the living room and she spotted Zatanna hovering in the archway of the kitchen.

Rudy West sat on the living room couch as he watched the Lions versus the Patriots game that was on; he turned in the direction of the kitchen and shouted something related to football.

"Hey Tanna!" Arley said as she walked into her apartment, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Katma, Mary and Iris and Joan were littered around the folding tables Arley had helped John and Hal set up earlier that day, laughing and picking at the bowl of cheese and fruits and crackers that sat between them.

"Hey Arley," the magical teen smiled weakly, "Thanks for having me."

"It's no big, you're my teammate." Arley said the word teammate as if it were synonymous with the word family; because to her it was. As the group that'd been in the hall slowly filtered into the apartment, M'gann was talking a mile a minute to Billy, Wally and Artemis; the speedster looked impressed that the Martian girl could talk half as fast as he could when he tried.

John, when the door was shut, used a construct from his ring to fly the coolers into the kitchen and Arley's eyes followed the glowing green construct only to see Guy mixing something as he wore his apron that Arley had gotten him years ago; the apron read I'm the chief if you don't like the food I'll stab you!

Guy, at the glow of the construct looked up, with a smile, "Hey Nightlight! How was your flight in!"

"Good," Arley said with a snicker as she looked away from Zatanna, "Though Artemis fell a little short on the in flight entertainment, apparently she doesn't like my jokes."

Arley had two types of jokes, corny dad-jokes she'd picked up from Barry and the dark jokes use used when speaking about the abused she'd gone through as a child.

"Nightlight I love you, but maybe the girl's onto something," Guy smirked; Zatanna's pearly white teeth peaked out as she smiled.

"My jokes are great thank you!" Arley cried even though she knew her jokes were lame; corny jokes weren't about making people laugh anyways, they were about seeing your friends face fall as you said a stupid punchline. They were a punishment not a reward.

"It's okay," Zatanna patted the Lanterns shoulder, "I'm sure Wally laughs at your jokes."

...

"Arley so help me if you and Guy break another chair horsing around you're grounded!" Hal called out as Guy tried to snatch the remote from the younger Lantern. Hal sat with Barry, Iris and the other adults at the empty dinning room table.

Guy had taken a break from cooking after him and John had gotten into an argument over how to season the turkey and which of their ways was the proper way to do so.

Arley paused as Billy and her teammates watched her and Guy from the sides.

"But what if it's all Guys fault-he's trying to put on the video you took of me from when I was eight!" The video was of Arley doing the chicken dance with Kilowog; neither Lantern had known Hal had been half hidden behind the corner with a video camera and the video ended with Kilowog's lunging at Hal.

"Still grounded."

Guy lunged over the couch and Arley rolled with the television remote close to her chest. She could hear Billy and Wally betting between her and Guy; Arley threw a half-heated glare in Billy's direction when he bet on Guy.

...

Arley stood in the hallway outside her apartment with her cellphone pressed to her ear. M'gann, Zatanna and Kaldur had all said that Conner had needed to do something before dinner and that he would meet everyone at the Jordan-Gluck apartment, but as the time ticked by and the clone continued to not show, Arley's gut twisted in worry.

"This is Conner, I guess I missed your call. I'll try to call you back, I guess." Arley sighed.

"Hey Con, this is Arley, just wondering if everything's okay. Call me back and let me know if I should put a plate in the microwave for you, or something."

...

Arley, with her eyes closed sat with her back against her bed, Wally sat slightly turned away from her, and Kaldur, Billy, M'gann, Zatanna and Artemis completed the small circle they had made when Arley had brought out her Cards Against Humanity deck.

"Okay open your eyes," M'gann said and with a grin Arley did, she looked at the six overturned white cards and the one black card― which read, War! What is it good for? ―Arley picked up the five white cards and one by one she flipped them over.

"Going around punching people," Arley said as she flipped the first one over, Arley couldn't help but smile. Billy bit his lip.

"Justified fugitives," Arley read as she flipped the second white car over. Wally's lips twitched.

"Genetically engendered super soldiers and The violation of our basic human rights-holy kriff I like that one," Arley said as she flipped the next two over. Like a cat who'd caught the canary Zatanna preened.

"Graphic violence, adult langue and some sexual content," Arley read with a nod; Kaldur licked his lips.

"And last but not least, PTSD," Arley laughed as she read the white card. "Okay so uh-I'm sorta stuck between PTSD and the human rights one, I mean I really like the graphic violence one and all―"

"―What!" Billy complained, "But punching people! You should defiantly like that one too!"

"―It's a good card but in case you forgot Billy this isn't about throwing down the best card, it's about throwing down whatever card I like best." The eleven year old Justice League member crossed his arms but he concede Arley's point with a nod.

The Lantern looked down at the white cards she had under her hand; "PTSD-sorry 'Tanna."

Artemis bent forward and swiped her sixth black card up out of the middle with a victorious smile as Zatanna frowned. Wally hung his head forward as Artemis smirked in his direction;

"I'm sorry Baywatch," Artemis called, "What was that about kicking my ass!"

Arley, with a chuckle and a shared eye roll with M'gann patted her boyfriends back. M'gann used her powers to push asides the used white cards and flip over another black card; this one read, Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's blank.

Arley, as she retracted her hand away from Wally, looked down at her cards and saw the one that read Powerful thighs. Arley knew Artemis and maybe she loved Wally as much as she loved breathing but if there was one thing Arley loved more then either of those things it was winning card games.

Arley threw down her card with a hard slap to the floor and a half-feral grin; next to her Wally sighed with smile.

...

There was a turkey in the middle of the two tables and it looked large enough to feed an army of Bolovaxians. It had taken a week to find a turkey big enough to feed eighteen people plus two speedsters, and Arley had been there when Hal had bought the bird but still, she marveled at the sight of it as it sat in the middle of the two tables.

Hal sat at the head of the table, John sat to his right and Guy sat to his left and Arley sat next to to Katma who had taken the seat next to John. John had forgotten to turn off the radio in the kitchen when he had called out that dinner was ready and Arley was pretty sure the music that played in the background was Bruno Mars Just The Way You Are.

Wally had his fingers laced with Arley's― their hands were settled in her lap ―and every so often Arley could feel Billy's foot almost kick her as he swung them excitedly under the table; the young boy chatted happily to Kaldur who sat slightly further down the table. Artemis and her mother Paula sat next to Billy's uncle who was talking business to Wally's father and Iris and Mary talked to both Katma and Paula and.

Conner's chair sat empty and folded up to the side; he still hadn't answered anyone's calls and though no one showed it, all the heroes in the room were worried.

Joan and Jay laughed at something Barry had said and Zatanna smiled at the League member as M'gann hide her toothy grin behind her hand.

Hal cleared his throat and stood; the chatter that'd surrounded the able quieted as everyone turned to the sector leader.

"So," Hal clasped his hands, "Before we dig into the beautiful feast I thought we could all say what we're all thankful for. So to start off, I'm thankful for my partners―" Hal clasped both John and Guy on the shoulders, he looked at Arley with a grin, "―And I'm thankful Guy is here this year to celebrate with us."

Arley raised her glass of Snapple with the hand Wally wasn't holding; "Here-here!" The rest of the table followed suit and with their glasses raised in Guys direction they repeated the youngest Lanterns words.

Hal sat down and looked to Guy, the red headed Lantern straightened in his seat.

"Well obviously I'm thankful for waking up, but I'm also thankful everyone was still here when I did."

"I'm thankful to still be a member of the Justice League," Billy said with a smile, his uncle Dudley put a large hand on his shoulder;

"And I'm thankful my nephew has so many friends out there watching his back." Dudley looked along the table, "Thank you all, I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Billy looked up at his uncle with a reassuring smile and Artemis smiled at Arley,

"I'm thankful to have made so many good friends," the archer said.

"I am thankful to have my daughter Artemis," Paula Crock said, "And I am grateful for her health."

Iris grabbed Barry's hands and with a teasing grin she looked at her husband, "I was thankful for Barry last year so I guess this year I'll be thankful for my job."

"Thanks Iris," Barry laughed as he sifted in his seat, he looked at the table full of faces and grinned, "Unlike my better half here I'm going to stick to the same answer I gave last year and say I'm thankful for her."

With a coo, Iris pressed a kiss to Barry's cheek and Wally rolled his eyes at his aunt and uncle.

"Well I'm thankful I'm still here," Joan said, Jay who sat next to her at the other end of the table nodded, "Lordy knows I'm getting up there up there."

"What?" Wally laughed, "No way Grandma, you're looking as young as ever." Joan Garrick smiled at the young speedster,

"And I suppose this is why you're my favorite grandkid." Wally beamed as Jay said he was thankful for Joan and the fact he could still run like he used to.

Kaldur sat up in his seat, "I am thankful for my role as team leader and for the fact my teammates trust me to lead them." He looked to M'gann to sat next to him,

"I'm thankful to finally be on Earth," the Martian girl said, "It's a dream come true."

"I'm thankful for everyone's who's been there for me since my dad d-since he left," Zatanna said softly, her eyes shiny. M'gann put a hand on the magical teen shoulder and Zatanna smiled at the Martian girl with a watery grin, "I'm also thankful to be here, with you guys. Thank you for inviting me," she said to the Lanterns at the other end of the table.

"You're part of the team Tanna," Arley said, "You're family."

Rudy West, with his arm over the back of Mary looked at his wife and then at Wally.

"I'm thankful to have such a talented son and amazing wife," Mary pressed a hand to Rudy West's cheek and though she didn't kiss her husband at the table she looked at him as if she wanted to,

"And I'm thankful to have such an amazing husband and wonderful son."

"I have to say I'm thankful for them now, don't I?" Wally joked, his mothers head snapped towards him,

"Wallace!"

"I'm joking!" Wally laughed with a hand in the air, "I'm joking. I am thankful for you two, and," Wally peeked over at Arley, "I'm also thankful for my beautiful and strong girlfriend and being for being on such a kickass team―"

"―Wallace Rudolph West you mind your langue at the dinner table!" His mother hissed; Wally grinned cheekily at his mom and leaned over, away from Arley to plant a kiss on the side of the woman's face. Wally, when he pulled back looked to Arley.

The Lantern felt the eyes of the room settle on her. There were a million things she was grateful for; she had a thousand things she could give thanks to.

"I'm thankful for everyone who's there for me, Aniell included, I mean, I haven't had the best past the few months and I'm thankful for everyone who's stood by me. You guys are my family."

Arley felt Wally squeeze her hand under the table as she looked to Katma; "I am thankful for John, never before meeting him did I think I would find love."

Though Arley couldn't see if he was blushing the sector Lantern to get his ring looked bashfully at the Korugarian woman.

"I love you too Kat," John said tenderly before straightening up in his seat; "I'm thankful for my wife," John said, he looked at Hal, Guy and Arley with a smile, "And my family, I'm thankful for them too, even if they drive me up a wall most day."

"That's only cause you love us," Guy said with a puff of his chest and Hal clapped his hands;

"Alright, dig in!" And they did.

...

When the Pussycat Dolls When I Grow Up started to loudly play it was technically the day after Thanksgiving; Arley's hand shot out from under her covers as she― bleary eyed ―fumbled around her darkened room, slapping her palm against her bedside table until she hit her phone.

The girl, still under her covers, held her phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked into the phone groggily.

"Arley?" The Lantern blinked, her blanket fell around her waist as she sat up, much more alert then she had been second ago.

"Con?"

"Yeah-I, Wolf and I, we're on the roof, can I come in?"

"Of course-yeah, I'll unlock the doors now." Arley threw her legs over her bed as she caste her blanket off of her. "And-uh," The Lantern said as she stood; the girl took her phone away from her ear for a second to check the time before she quickly placed the phone back against her ear, "Feel free to bring Wolf too, everyone show be asleep so no one should see him."

"Thank you," Conner said; Arley could hear the clone move from his end of line.

"It's no problem," she told him softly before hanging up, the girl placed her phone back on her bedside table before she quietly― conscious that Hal was sleeping for the first time in three days ―crept from her bedroom and snuck by a snoring Guy Gardner who was asleep on the couch, to the front door of the apartment.

When she opened the apartment door Conner and Wolf were already in the apartment hallway; the clone looked lost, his shoulders were hunched forward making him look smaller and the Kryptonian symbol that he usually wore had been torn from his shirt.

Conner's baby blue eyes flickered up from the ground, Arley's mouth opened up and for a moment, no words came out.

A moment passed; "Holy doshing Nortz―"

"―I'm sorry I'm late―"

"―Who cares!" Arley hissed, she stepped forward and her hands hovered over Conners shoulders, "I-are you-" Arley licked her lips as she tried to figure out just what to ask the clone boy first; "You're okay?"

"Physically, yeah," Conner said, "But-Arley I did something and I had to do it but―" Conner squeezed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth, "―I hate myself for it." A thousand ideas of what Conner could have done within the past twenty-four hours flashed through Arley's mind.

"You had to?" Arley clarified and with angry eyes the clone nodded. Arley caught the alien clones chin between her thumb and forefinger so that he would look her in the eyes as she smiled softly at him; "Then whatever you did, I'm behind you, a hundred percent of the way."

"I haven't told you what I've done," Conner growled.

"And I don't care," Arley said, "Tell me now or in eight months when you're ready, Conner as long as you had to do it, I don't care what it is. You're family, that means I have your back no matter what."

Conner blinked rapidly and as he looked away his stomach growled loudly throughout the apartment complex's hallway, Arley raised a dark brow at the boy.

"Have you eaten yet?" Conner shook his head with a shrug,

"Breakfast, M'gann said not to spoil my appetite, cause, you know, I was supposed to be here with you guys." Arley stepped back and pushed her and Hals― and at this point, Guy's ―apartment door open further,

"Then come on, you might have missed Thanksgiving dinner but honestly?" Arley said as Wolf and Conner moved into the apartment, "The only then better than that is Thanksgiving leftovers."

"Seriously?" Conner asked as he and Arley entered the kitchen; Wolf walked towards Arley's room where the Lantern knew the genetically modified canine would curl up to sleep.

"Conner, my itty-bitty-baby brother―"

"―I'm biologically older then you," Arley waved her hand at the clone as he took a seat at the table,

"Yeah whatever, the matter at hand is, you have not lived until you had a turkey and stuffing sandwich."

Conner couldn't help but smile as Arley turned to open the refrigeration. The Lantern took out three large Tupperware, one with slices of turkey, another filled with stuffing and a third with the handful of stuffed mushrooms Katma had made sure to set aside for the girl.

Arley could feel Conner silently watching her as she put together two large turkey and stuffing sandwiches; she threw five of the stuffed mushrooms onto a third and separate plate before putting that into the microwave and when those were hot and ready to eat Arley put two on her plate and three on Conners.

When she put the plate down in front of the clone boy Conner looked up at Arley with a heavy and sad look in his eyes, "I'm here if you don't want to wait eight months to tell what's up," Arley told the clone.

"You'll hate me for it," Conner said; a muscle in the left side of jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth together. Arley reached forward, across the white kitchen table and placed a hand on the clones.

She could feel the soft look in her eyes harden as she breathed.

"Never," she swore absolutely, "I could never hate you Conner."

Conner nodded and hos tongue poked out from his mouth and wet his lips, his shoulders seemed to tremble as he breathed.

"You can't-promise me you won't tell anyone? Not anyone," Conner pleaded in a whispered voice, "Not Wally or Hal or M'gann-you cannot tell M'gann."

"I swear it." Arley hadn't even hesitated; Conner let out a heavy breath, he looked at the two plates between him and Arley and when he looked up at Arley the Lantern could see worlds worth of guilt in his eyes.

"I went back to Cadmus," Conner said heavily, and though Arley's eyes widened she didn't say anything; instead she let the boy across from her continue, and as he explained everything from Project Match and having to lock the first Kryptionian clone back in his pod to Dubbilex stealing the genomorphs and hiding them away to the gaps in his DNA and Lex Luther and the shields he had given him, Arley didn't speak, she just held Conner's hand, and when he was finished and he looked far more beaten down then Arley could ever remember him looking she squeezed his hand.

"You did what was best for Match," Arley said, "Maybe it would be wrong for you but re-podding Match keeps him safe right now, it keeps everyone else safe too and at the end of the day that's the thing that matters, but Conner you can't use those shields again."

"They helped me―"

"―We don't know the long term effects, Conner what if they're secretly mind control technology," Arley said, "You can't trust Luther―"

"So you can't trust me?" Conner said as his hands curled into fists as he ripped them out from under Arley, "If I'm his son―"

"―That," Arley cut the clone off sternly, "Doesn't mean shit," Arley told him, "Nature versus nurture and all that, you know? Just because you have his blood running through you, that doesn't mean you're him anymore then you're Superman. Conner, when we all found you and Kaldur told you, you could be your own person, he wasn't just saying that; you are your own person and at the end of the day you're whoever you want to be."

"But what if-I mean, I'm Superman's clone, I'm Lex Luther's clone, that has to account for something," Conner said.

"Yeah, it accounts to why Wally, Rob, Kaldur and I found you fifty-two floors below street level under a Cadmus laboratory and not in some Mid-Western high school English class. Conner do you want to be like Luther?"

"No!" Conner said automatically. "No, I don't want anything to do with him."

"Then you don't have to, Con this changes nothing about you-not in my eyes and it certainly won't change how the team views you."

"You can't know that," Conner said, but Arley could because the team had been there― outside of that lead lined room in the Mount Justice Cave, almost two months ago ―when her true, bloody colors were revealed, and all of them stayed, none of them had run and at the end of the day all of them still loved her.

"Of course I can," Arley said with an arrogant grin, "I'm a Green Lantern."

...

Conner and Wolf were both curled up on Arley's bed; the pair of them asleep and Arley stood outside her bedroom on her fire escape in full uniform. She looked down at her ring,

If the Justice League finds out you are there they will want to know why you are in Metropolis, Aniell said.

Don't care, Arley thought back, Luther needs to know Conner has someone in his corner.

And if Superman confronts you? If he asks why are in his city-if he finds you with Lex Luther?

I'll lie, Arley answered simply as she rose into the air; Because if he won't protect Conner I will.