Star City
December 21, 06:22 PST
The light that began to stream through the bedroom window managed to wake Jenna up before her alarm for once. One would think having to go on late-night patrols before getting up early to work would become easier as time went on. Especially when so much time was spent in other time zones, forcing sleep schedules to be extremely flexible. Yet, that wasn't the case every day.
Jenna reflexively turned her face toward her pillow in a feeble attempt to block out the light.
It had been a bad night; a sarcastic comment made by Sam had reminded her of an old argument between her and the...former...love of her life. Though she tried not to let it show, it dropped her mood pretty significantly, so patrol wrapped up a little bit early.
Either way, her attempts to grab any last bit of sleep she could were feeble, so Jenna gave up and finally cracked her eyes open.
She took her time getting up and getting ready for the day. After a quick shower and a cup of coffee with a bagel after getting dressed, she felt a bit more alive. She scratched Amp's head before straightening to reach for her purse resting on the entryway table.
She then noticed the sticky note left underneath. Skimming over her own writing, she let out a groan.
"'Need extra invoice forms.' Right."
Jenna tossed the small sheet of paper away in the kitchen before padding back to her bedroom. She made a beeline straight for her desk, rifling around for the spare book she kept at home for backup. Usually, she had enough at the shop, but she kept putting it off until she ran out completely. She made an order for more, but it was still going to take a couple of days until they arrived.
"Where did I put that..." Jenna sat at her desk, rifling through its contents until she found her prize. There it was, laying inside the bottom drawer with a bunch of old folders and no-longer-needed items that she just couldn't bring herself to finally throw away.
She rolled her eyes, straightening up to place the booklet on the desktop. Note to self, clean out the desk this weekend. She bent back down to close the drawer, only to pause when she spotted something laying on top of a stack of old papers and letters.
Although part of her was already telling her to just close the drawer and leave, the other part won out as she reached down and picked up the picture frame that lay face-down.
Jenna stood upright, slowly turning the frame over to view what she already knew it contained.
~8~8~8~
"Is that funnel cake?"
Jenna whirled around, shielding the paper plate in her hands with her body. She glared at the person who asked the curious question.
"Don't even think about it, Wal," she warned with a hint of venom in her tone. "This is the best place in Star City for anything sweet and fried and I'll be damned if you take any from me. Your girlfriend's coming with some in a second."
Wally suddenly recoiled. "Fine, damn," he said with an incredulous laugh as he held his hands up in surrender.
Jenna stuck out her tongue at him as he backed closer to Dick, muttering under his breath. His best friend chuckled.
"Dude, you're just mad that you met your match," he pointed out, eyes full of mirth.
"Finally," Jenna called out, grinning as she turned back to the person at her side.
As she took a bite of her treat, she noticed the amused look in Kaldur's gaze. Her brow furrowed. "What?"
Saying nothing, her boyfriend reached up, gently swiping his thumb across her bottom lip. Although they had been together for over a year, the intimate action still made her flush. Even more so when Kaldur licked the powdered sugar off his finger.
Jenna then grinned cheekily. "You know there's a much more efficient way to do that," she teased.
It was Kaldur's turn to be confused, so Jenna leaned further into his side, maneuvering the plate in her hand to prevent it from getting crushed. As she tilted her chin up, Kaldur realized what she was implying.
"I see," he hummed before looking off to the side thoughtfully.
He then leaned over, pressing their lips together in a brief but warm kiss. Jenna would have liked it to have drawn out longer, but they were in public after all, so she pulled back with a bright grin.
"So?" she inquired.
Kaldur seemed to consider the idea before dropping his gaze to look at her with a slight smirk. "Yes, it is very efficient," he answered.
Jenna let out a laugh, returning to her sweet treat.
~8~8~8~
Jenna blinked away the tears that started to blur her vision.
She stared down at the moment forever frozen in time where she was caught mid-laughter while Kaldur had an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek. If she tried hard enough, she could feel the warmth of his lips spread across that exact spot.
She ran a finger down the jagged crack in the glass protecting the photo from harm.
One night, not long after she had left the team and after Wally's demise, she had ended up drinking one too many glasses of wine. She had been about to go to bed for the night when she spotted the photo sitting on her desk, having yet to be moved even after she believed Kaldur betrayed the League and the team. Jenna's heart just didn't want to accept the truth so she never touched it, only laying it flat so she didn't have to look at it.
Except she did that one night. And in a fit of tears and sudden rage, she chucked it across her bedroom. The frame managed to stay intact, but the glass cracked. As her mind caught up with her and she realized what she had done, she broke down in sobs as she cradled the picture frame in her arms.
After that, once she woke up in her bed with an alcohol-and-sorrow-induced headache, the photo resting on the empty side of her bed, she placed it inside her desk and closed the drawer, deciding to never open it again.
Until now.
Knowing it was well past time that she should leave for work, Jenna stood. She still clutched the photo in her hand, unable to bring herself to shove it back in the drawer. She glanced up at the other various photo frames of her with her friends littered around her desk before making the split-second decision to place the one in hand among them.
Then she grabbed the invoice book before she could overthink anything, rushing out the door so she could finish her tasks for the day.
And of course, it was like the universe chose that day of all days to torment her. On that particular day, Jenna made was met with a reminder as soon as she got to work. A reminder to start planning out arrangements.
Arrangements for a wedding to be exact.
Great. Jenna had a permanent frown as she read through the customer's requests to determine the best flowers, design, and more. She tried her hardest to ignore the ache in her chest.
Funnily enough, a big wedding never crossed Jenna's mind, even after she and Kaldur were engaged. It just wasn't their style. All that really mattered was them, their loved ones, and the life-long commitment they wanted to make.
So much for life-long. Jenna's eyes trailed down to her hand, staring at her bare ring finger. She then balled her hand into a fist, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I can't do this today," she whispered, taking a few more seconds before opening her eyes and getting to her feet.
Then she reached for her phone and dialed a familiar contact. In no time, they had answered.
"Hey. You caught me just in time. I was about to leave for the Premiere Building."
"Uh, yeah, about that. Care to meet me and we'll go over together?" Jenna asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Sure." Artemis sounded confused. "I thought you were too busy working today though."
Jenna managed a dry laugh as she grabbed her bag and turned off the office light. Since the shop was officially closed that day, she hadn't bothered with the main shop lights so she was able to go straight to the entrance. "Yeah, well, change of plans," she explained.
There was a pause while she locked the door behind her. "Is...everything okay?" Artemis said cautiously.
Jenna walked down the sidewalk. "Nothing some training won't help," she said a bit bitterly.
Artemis still sounded concerned but agreed to swing by Jenna's apartment before leaving. After hanging up, Jenna walked in silence, caught up in unwanted emotions.
~/~/~/~
Hollywood
December 21, 10:30 PST
Jenna leaned against the back of the couch, arms crossed over her leotard-clad chest while she and Artemis waited for the kids to get back from school. Both were dressed in their usual garb, minus their mask and leather jacket respectively since it was a mostly casual thing when it was just Violet, Tara, and Fred.
Well, it was supposed to be Violet, Tara, and Fred, but only two kids out of the three stepped out of the Zeta-Tube. Jenna's brow furrowed.
"Where's Violet?" Artemis asked, voicing her best friend's thoughts as they approached the kids. "I thought all of us were training today."
"I reminded her," Tara said, "but when the bell rang, she...what is the English...ah, yes. She 'blew us off' to hang with her friend Harper Row."
Artemis was just as bewildered as Jenna was. "Violet blew us off?"
Jenna's eyebrows rose high. "Are we talking about the same person here?" she questioned, sharing a wide-eyed glance with the archer.
"That doesn't sound like her," Artemis agreed. "Still, if she's socializing, making friends...it's healthy I guess."
Jenna could see her point. So she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "That's alright. She'll just have to make up training later," she muttered.
She raised her head, looking up at the other kids. "You two, go get changed. We'll work in pairs today."
The four of them ran through some basic drills in the gym, testing the kids' memories on how to handle different scenarios and the like, for about an hour. Artemis was finishing up a run-through with Tara, so Jenna dismissed Forager and was resting on a workout bench while she watched the girls finish up their spar.
Artemis and Tara circled the mat, both looking for an opening to attack. Artemis did so first, charging at the meta-teen. Tara dropped her body weight as she grabbed Artemis' arms, using the momentum to get her feet underneath the woman and toss her away.
Artemis easily landed on her feet behind Tara, turning back to face her. "Good. Use your opponent's momentum."
Tara leaped forward, intending to strike her teacher with a backhand, but Artemis quickly side-stepped and crouched to kick the girl's feet out from under her. Tara landed on her back before rolling over on her hands and knees.
"Mother of goat!" she cried out, slamming a fist into the mat in frustration.
Jenna lowered her water bottle which she was taking a sip from, sharing a glance with Artemis. Tara's reaction seemed to stem from previous experience. Maybe where she knew how to keep her balance and that not doing so had consequences.
Jenna's eyes narrowed. They knew that Tara had been mentored by Deathstroke–and was still communicating with him–but they knew so little about the Markovian girl's past. Just what did Slade do? Even thinking about the possibilities had Jenna worried.
Artemis approached the girl who had yet to stand. "Hey."
Tara whirled around, opening her mouth as if to say something only to hesitate when she saw Artemis was offering her a hand up.
"It's alright," the woman assured. "You can't expect to know the counter for every attack overnight."
Jenna let out a quiet scoff, drinking more of her water. Even I still slip up sometimes.
Rather than accept Artemis' offer, Tara stood on her own. Taking the change in stride, Artemis propped her hands on her hips.
"Okay..." she said slowly, sensing the tension but not addressing it. "Let's try again, but don't just focus on my eyes. That might work against an untrained fighter, but not against an experienced foe."
She gestured to different places on her body. "Be aware of my entire body, hips included. You'll learn to see the tells, to anticipate what's coming-"
"I know that," Tara interrupted with a bit more bite than expected.
Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Do you?" she asked, almost challenging the girl to slip up.
Tara caught herself, glancing away. "I mean...I'm sorry," she said. "I appreciate what you're trying to teach me."
Artemis stepped closer to her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. But Tara jerked back, refusing to look her way.
Artemis sighed. "Look, I get it. You have bad memories associated with training."
No doubt. Jenna's frown deepened when Tara tensed up. "Training? Me?" she said, panic poorly concealed in her tone.
"Before your cage match with Holocaust?" Artemis pointed out. "Seemed like someonehad given you a few tips, if brutally."
Tara relaxed slightly. "Yes," she answered. "My training was a bit...rough."
"I understand, trust me. My dad, Sportsmaster? He was just like that. Borderline abusive on good days." Artemis' brow furrowed in recollection. "But that's not my style. So...go again?"
Her hopeful smile was mirrored by Tara. "Yes."
~/~/~/~
Jenna hadn't gotten changed and gone through a Zeta-Tube as fast as she did shortly after training was done.
Violet had been arrested with her friend Harper. Specifically, for being two minors who had liquor and a firearm in their possession on the beach by Mount Justice. M'gann was able to pick her up from the police station, but not before sending her own friend a text to have her waiting for them.
The headlights of M'gann's car momentarily blinded Jenna as she pulled up to the garage. Once the lights were shut off along with the motor, she could finally see the passengers inside. Her brow furrowed when she laid eyes on Violet who looked very closed off.
As the women exited the vehicle, Jenna pushed off the side of the garage door, crossing her arms as she waited for them to approach her. Violet kept her head down while she passed without greeting, making Jenna sigh.
"Did you get anything out of her?" she silently asked her friend.
M'gann shook her head. "Nothing. I don't get it. Violet being caught with alcohol and a gun? It's nothing like her."
"But how did Harper get those things? They had to be in her possession originally, right?" Jenna wondered with a tilt of her head.
"From what I understood, her dad isn't the best role model. Clearly doesn't seem to care for his kids if Harper is going to have to be in holding until he decides to go get her."
Jenna's brow softened as she felt an instant wave of sympathy for the girl. She glanced over her shoulder at Violet who stood waiting by the Zeta-Tube. Jenna sighed again as she turned back to M'gann.
"I'll see what I can get out of Vi," she decided. "And if you're allowed to, keep me updated about Harper."
M'gann nodded, looking over at Violet too. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Jenna said dryly as she walked away.
Violet still refused to meet her gaze as she approached the computer. There were some pre-set coordinates for the most frequent places traveled to, but Jenna hesitated on the one to the Premiere Building before typing in a new one entirely. Violet didn't notice, only moving into the Tube as she waited to be transported.
Jenna joined her, being whisked away immediately.
"Recognized: Siren, B-zero-two; Halo, B-three-two."
Jenna started walking the moment they reached their destination, but Violet lagged behind, obviously not expecting them to be in an alley instead of the Pemeire Building's living room.
"I- I thought we were going back to the Premiere Building," Violet said as expected.
Jenna paused at the alley's entrance, glancing back at the girl. "We're...taking a little detour first."
Without elaborating any further, Jenna continued on, knowing that Violet wouldn't be far behind. It was mostly quiet as they walked down the sidewalk, but the bustle of city life filled up the silence for them. And the walk itself didn't last very long as their destination was close to the Zeta-Tube. The warm air that came from the diner greeted the women as Jenna tugged the door open for Violet to step inside.
Jenna migrated to a very familiar corner booth, one that provided as much privacy as the diner could give. Memories flooded into her mind of time spent at that exact spot with close friends, primarily Will, Artemis on occasion, and then eventually Sam. Once she took a seat on the side that faced the door, followed by Violet reluctantly sitting across from her, a waitress had come up to the table.
"Afternoon, Jenna. Usually, we see you at night whenever you come around."
Jenna smiled up at the middle-aged woman. "We're changing things up today, Margaret," she explained, sparing a quick glance at Violet. She had yet to make eye contact or speak.
"I see," Margaret hummed, flipping open her notepad. "So are you changing up the order or will it be the usual? Basket of fries and a strawberry cheesecake shake? What about your friend here?"
"Make that two shakes and it'll be perfect."
After scribbling down the order, the lady walked off. "Yell if you need anything," she called over her shoulder.
The little personal bubble surrounding the booth was filled with silence. Jenna laced her hands together, resting them on the table as she examined the girl in front of her. Violet risked a glance up at her before quickly returning to the table.
There were a few more beats of silence before Jenna finally spoke.
"I brought you here to treat you since I can tell you had an...eventful day," she began. "But to truly relax and enjoy it, we need to clear the air. And we can't do that if you don't talk to me."
Jenna then spread her arms out against the table, opting for a more open stance in hopes that it would feel more inviting. "Vi. I'm not going to be the one to force you to give an explanation or give answers. I already know the gist of what happened and why you were arrested, but what I don't know is why you did it at all."
Violet shifted in her seat, indicating to Jenna that she certainly was hiding something. Something that she wanted to talk about but that she was scared to. Jenna fought to keep the millions of worries and guesses in her mind at bay as she leaned back, waiting until Violet was ready to talk.
Then Violet finally met Jenna's eyes.
"How did you know you were bisexual?"
Jenna's eyebrows rose quickly. Not the conversation topic I expected, but okay. She leaned back against her seat, crossing her arms as she stared at a point above Violet's head in recollection.
"I was fourteen," she started. "I don't remember the exact moment, but I do remember that a girl in my eighth-grade math class was involved."
Jenna cracked a smile. "We actually hung out a couple of times. But she wound up having to move the summer before freshman year, so obviously, nothing stemmed from it," she said with a shrug. "I had a couple of small crushes here and there–on both guys and girls–but I didn't get into my first solid relationship until I was almost seventeen."
For the umpteenth time that day, memories flooded Jenna's head. Her smile fell as she thought about that relationship; from the most insignificant moments to the bigger, more life-changing ones.
It didn't surprise her that Violet noticed her change in mood. "What...what happened?"
It was Jenna's turn to avoid making eye contact. "Life," she said shortly. "Life and choices made got in the way of a four-year relationship."
Violet's brow furrowed. "Do you miss them, whoever they are?" she wondered.
Jenna swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "Yeah," she admitted in a whisper.
She looked up at Violet. "Why are you asking? Are you not happy in your relationship with Brion? Is there someone else?"
Violet sat up straight. "No, I am. And...no, there isn't," she said quickly before shrinking back again. "I'm just...trying to learn more about myself."
Jenna's brow softened. "I get it," she said. "I'm here if you ever need advice. For anything."
Her pointed look was enough.
But their food arriving halted the conversation for a moment. Thanking Margaret, Jenna waited until they were alone before speaking to Violet again.
"For now...let's just enjoy our food. Then whenever you're ready, I will be too."
As they dug in, Jenna kept one eye on the girl sitting across from her the whole time.
~/~/~/~
Hi! So this chapter was kind of intended to do a few things: get a look into Jenna's more casual day-to-day, show a bit more of what it's been like since she basically dumped Kaldur, and kind of strengthen her and Violet's bond. I feel like I haven't done much of any of those three in the fic, but tbh I'm not even sure if that's something you guys have wanted lol. Feel free to let me know what you might want to see more of and I might be able to sneak it into future chapters! Believe it or not though, there are not many left!
But you're always free to chat about the fic with me, I love to talk about it! Just ask my best friend lmao.
See you next week!