Author's Note: Here we gooooo. A bit more of a personal chapter. A break for Remy before all hell breaks loose (:

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.

Chapter Eighteen: Home

Remy had never been so happy to see the skyline of Star City as she had been on the way home from the airport. Not even driving through the grittier parts of the city that homeless people frequented could take away from her relief at finally returning home.

Her apartment, Remy was surprised to find, was intact and completely spotless. She had been expecting a disaster area considering the way Roy liked to party.

Remy set her bags down next to the door and walked over to her house phone, dialing her voice mail.

"You have twelve unheard messages," it recited.

Remy flopped down, face first onto the couch, glancing at the clock. 1:36 pm it read. She listened as the first message began.

"Hey Remy it's Dinah," her low voice flowed out of the machine. "I know you're just getting in, but today is Thanksgiving. I'm having a dinner at my house with some close friends and some of my colleagues. Just wanted to let you know that you're welcome if you'd like to come." Dinah chuckled. "You're probably scoffing at me right now and rolling your eyes, but I promise it's not as bad as I'm making it sound. We have apple pie, so it can't be that bad."

Remy rolled her eyes, groaning. Leave it to Black Canary to make me feel even shittier on a family holiday. When she's trying to be nice at that.

Remy hadn't even realized it was Thanksgiving; she'd lost track of time while in Bhutan.

"So yeah, come by, don't come by," Dinah said awkwardly. "Whatever you want. If I don't see you… Happy Thanksgiving."

The machine beeped. "Message number two."

"Hey, hey, Remy!" Wally's enthusiastic voice spit out. "Haven't heard from you all week and I wanted to ask how that Chemistry test went? I know that you are gone—heh get it? Argon? Like the chemical? — Okay that was lame. Anyway I know you went somewhere with Artemis, but I figured you weren't too far from home."

Remy snorted rolling off the couch and onto her feet. "So, uh, Turkey Day is coming up in like a week. I mean how awesome right? The one day you can eat as much as you want and not have to feel guilty about it! I do that anyways, but who really cares, right?"

Remy rolled her eyes as she perched herself on the counter next to the answering machine. Wally clearly had no plans of stopping his message anytime soon. She pressed the save message button, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl beside her.

"Message number three."

"Hey Remy! It's Wally. Again. The machine cut me off and—"

Remy pressed the save message button again.

"Message number four."

"Hi Remy!" Remy jumped, startled as Miss Martian's ridiculously loud and cheerful voice rang out of the machine. "It's apparently a huge human holiday on Thursday and I know that you're probably spending it with your sister, but Conner and I are having a brunch with the rest of our friends that morning if you want to come. I know you don't like me much but I think it could be fun. I'm making waffles!"

Remy pressed the delete button on Miss Martian's message. She just couldn't handle it right now, when she was in such a foul mood. And she definitely wasn't in the mood for Miss Martian's attempts at being subtle, by using the words 'your sister' instead of Black Canary and referring to their teammates as 'friends.'

It would've been perfectly fine as far as subtlety was concerned, save for the fact that she whispered the words in a conspiratorial tone. And that she said the words 'huge human holiday.' Making it seem like she wasn't actually human.

If her phone was indeed being tapped, Remy would be screwed either way.

"Message Number Five."

"Remy it's Headmistress Keller from—"

Delete. Remy took a bite out of her apple, the crunching sound unusually loud in her ears.

"Message Number Six."

"This is Mr. John Harley calling for Dr. Lawrence. I'm calling to talk about my recent prostrate examinat—"

Delete.

"Message Number Seven."

"This is Nurse Kelly from the Jasmine Springs Wellness Center in Gotham."

Remy's ears perked up a bit at hearing the voice of her mother's nurse.

"I'm sure you're aware that Thanksgiving is coming up soon, Miss Vanderbilt. I think your mother would really appreciate it if you could come and visit her. Maybe even bring her some apple pie and ice cream. She's been making some progress since you came in and I think she would benefit from—"

Goddamn, what is it with everyone and frickin' apple pie? It's not even that good!

Remy pressed delete. After everything that had happened, her mother was the last thing she wanted to think about. It may have been a family holiday, but as far as Remy was concerned, when most of her family was either dead or institutionalized there was no reason to celebrate or be thankful.

She turned off the answering machine and kicked off her shoes, tossing her half eaten apple in the trash. She picked up her bags from the floor and headed for her bedroom, deciding she should clean up before heading out to pick up some pizza or something.

Before she could get undressed, her cell phone trilled from inside her purse.

"Hello?"

There was a deep breath and a pause. "It's me. Artemis."

Remy rolled her eyes. "I know. I have caller id."

"Oh," she said blankly. "Right of course. My bad."

Remy kicked her bags on the floor away and studied her nails. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No—I mean, yes," Artemis spit out. "I just got home and I realized it was Thanksgiving. I wanted to invite—"

"Yeah I got that as well," Remy said sarcastically. "I had twelve unheard phone messages to remind me that it's the fourth Thursday of the month."

Artemis blew out a sigh. "You're making it really hard to be nice to you, you know."

"I don't need you to be nice to me," Remy said blankly. "We're not friends. We're colleagues."

"Because Remy Vanderbilt doesn't need friends?" Artemis scoffed. "You're impossible. After everything we went through this past week, I thought maybe we could get past this petty infighting. Guess I was wrong."

Remy sighed, rubbing her temples. "That's not what I meant."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Remy." There was a click as Artemis hung up.

I'm better off alone, she told herself. Always have been, always will be.

Standing there alone though, Remy couldn't help but feel a bit stupid. Her shoulders were clenched as she chucked her cell phone at the glass vase on her dresser.

There was a loud crash as the vase shattered and the sharp pieces littered the floor. Remy groaned, heading to the kitchen to grab a dustpan. Returning to the scene of her momentary lapse in anger management, she bent down to start picking it up piece by piece.

She collected it all into a trash bag and headed out of her apartment door to take it out with the rest of the trash.

As she approached the laundry and trash room, an angry voice could be heard yelling to no one in particular. Remy stopped just outside the door to listen.

"—don't care if she wants me there or not," the voice snapped. Remy immediately recognized the voice as Roy's. "I am not a part of your family anymore so I'm not coming over to eat your goddamn turkey." He paused as the person on the other line spoke and Remy heard Roy blow out a lengthy breath of frustration.

Remy decided she should just throw her trash away and get out. Eavesdropping was rude, after all.

Roy looked startled as Remy walked into the tiny room, trash bag grasped in her hand. Remy lifted a hand in greeting and pulled open the trash chute, throwing her bag down into the dark abyss.

"You're an arrogant asshole, that's why," Roy growled. "I'm not going to be a part of that sham of a family anymore." Roy paused and Remy heard another angry male voice on the other line now that she was passing by Roy.

Remy let him be, ignoring his gesture to wait a minute and she returned to her apartment, heading immediately for the shower again.

The knock on her door stopped her from undressing once again.

Now thoroughly annoyed, Remy stalked to the front door and allowed it to swing open, revealing Roy.

"Hi," was all she could think to say.

"Hey," he said, and smiled at her. "Sorry you had to hear that. Things are not exactly good with my family right now."

"Figured," Remy said, stepping aside. "You wanna come in or something?"

Roy looked surprised at her civil invitation and obliged. "Did you take happy pills or something? You haven't snapped at me or made any rude gestures yet."

"Funny," Remy sneered.

"There we go," Roy smirked, pointing at her. Remy turned away from Roy, choosing to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Thanks for watching the place while I was gone."

"No problem," Roy grinned easily. "How was India?"

Remy didn't bother correcting him; the less he knew and all that. "Fine."

Roy stayed silent for a moment. "Well that sounds just riveting. You're so descriptive, too!" Remy's expression was flat as Roy regarded her."Somehow, I'm not convinced."

Remy shrugged, seating herself at the breakfast nook. "Was there something you needed?"

"What are you doing tonight?" Roy asked, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Watching the Jersey Shore marathon," Remy said stiffly, realizing where this was going. "Alone."

"You're not going over to your parents' house?" Roy asked.

"They're dead," Remy told him, leaving out that her mother was insane. It was easier to just say that she was dead as well.

"Oh," Roy said, sobering. "Sorry about that. But that fortunately clears up your schedule. And since neither of us have plans with anyone else tonight—"

"It's not—"

"—we can have turkey here. You know together."

Remy sighed. "Look it's nice of you to offer but I'm not really into the whole turkey and apple pie shenanigans. To me, it's all just ridiculous hype."

Roy chuckled. "Then we'll get takeout. I know a pretty good Chines restaurant across town."

Remy hesitated, thinking about her options. Sit on the couch for hours and stare at the television or go out and possibly have a good time with my extremely good-looking neighbor? She thought about her mother, sitting all alone in that sanitarium, of Megan and Conner hanging out together at Mount Justice, of Artemis with her mother in Gotham, and of Dinah… doing whatever it was the Dinah was doing on Thanksgiving.

"We can take my motorcycle," Roy offered.

That sold it.

Remy turned her head and looked Roy in the eye. "Just let me get changed."

Remy had to admit that the restaurant where Roy had taken her had some delicious kungpow chicken. The waiters were nice and generally smelled good, the décor was authentic, and the orange chicken actually tasted like an orange.

"Admit it," Roy grinned. "You love it."

Remy spooned the last bit of chow mein into her mouth. "It's pretty good," she allowed.

"Which is better, me or the kungpow chicken?" he joked, waggling his eyebrows.

Remy pretended to think about it. "Definitely the chicken."

"Careful Remy," he pouted. "You might hurt my feelings."

Remy scoffed and finished off her drink, breathing out a sigh. "I can't eat anymore."

"No dessert?" Roy raised his eyebrows. Remy shook her head. "Come on. We have to at least try the Chinese version of apple pie."

"You go ahead," Remy waved him off.

"Fine," Roy muttered, signaling the waiter. Remy pulled her knees up to her chest and stared down at the tattoo on her wrist.

The waiter scurried off and Roy turned his attention back to Remy, noting her far off look. "Don't hurt yourself."

"I'm just thinking," Remy told him.

"I know."

She rolled her eyes at him and pulled her other leg up onto the seat. "Funny."

"What's wrong? You were fine until I ordered the apple pie."

"I'm not a fan," Remy shrugged, looking at the almost empty restaurant.

Roy studied her for a moment, his face softening as he watched her. "You really don't like Thanksgiving do you?"

"Nope."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because."

"Because why? Your parents?"

"No. I already told you," Remy said irritably. "I'm not into the whole 'be thankful for your family and a place to live and a place to eat.' It's all hype and hardly anyone actually means it when they say they're thankful for someone or something."

"You can't know whether a person is really thankful or not," Roy argued. "And I'm sure lots of people are."

"If that's what you want to think, go right ahead," Remy told him smugly.

Roy laughed. "And I thought I was a pessimist."

"'A pessimist is what an optimist calls a realist'," Remy quoted.

"Touché, Miss Remy," Roy said, raising his water glass, a twinkle in his blue eyes. His smile faded as he regarded her however. "But, honestly, that's it? You're mad at the world?"

"I'm not mad at the world," Remy snorted. "It's just—people don't appreciate the things their supposed to be thankful for, until they lose them."

"And you lost your parents right?" Roy clarified.

"It doesn't matter," Remy shrugged. "What matters is that I'm right, more or less."

The waiter sauntered over to their table and set the pie down on their table, relinquishing two forks.

Roy dug in immediately, shoving his mouth full of pie. "You may be right," Roy said, speaking with his mouth full. "But that's no reason we can't celebrate something."

Remy snorted. "What are we going to celebrate exactly?"

Roy looked outraged. "This delicious pie of course!" He shoved his fork in Remy's face obnoxiously. "Eat it."

"What?" Remy raised her eyebrows. "I already said I'm not hungry."

"Just try it."

"I won't like it," she insisted.

"You never know until you try."

"No."

"Just one bite," Roy said, waving the fork around in circles. "Come on, open up for airplane. Zooooooom."

"Roy." Remy stared at the circling fork.

"What?" he asked innocently, still making the airplane noises in front of her face.

"I'm not six."

"Just open your mouth."

"No."

Roy reached out and put his hand over Remy's. Remy stared down at it in shock. Usually when she made contact with another human it was to push them away, or to attack them. This is new, Remy decided, staring back at the forkful of pie.

"Eat the pie," Roy said his face an expression of mock seriousness.

"Fine, if it'll get you to shut up!" Remy groaned exasperated, holding open her mouth. Roy shoved the fork into her mouth and Remy closed her mouth around the pie.

She chewed slowly before swallowing. "Okay that is some good pie."