A/N: This has been sitting in my doc manager so long that I figured I'd upload it. I've had some pretty bad news the past couple days and I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Keep in mind that they've been dating for a year now and they're more comfortable with each other yada yada yada. Also, thanks for all the kind reviews! I will be writing a chapter for every year Wally's forgotten Valentine's Day and one for the year he didn't. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Young Justice unfortunately.

Chapter 2:

Wally West had spent more time preparing for Valentine's Day than he had for his SATs. Of course, given his ample intelligence, preparing for his SATs hadn't exactly been necessary but it was the gesture that counted.

Back at the cave, carefully hidden underneath his mattress, was a box of fine chocolates, a bouquet of tiger lilies (Artemis' favorites) and a silver arrow pendant on a long chain that he and Dick had spent hours scouring for at the Central City Mall. He was determined to make tomorrow as special for Artemis as possible. He'd even made reservations at a nice restaurant over a month ago, and though he was positive she would be satisfied with something as humble as dinner at the cave he wanted to make up for the disaster that was their first Valentine's Day together, by making their second one as glorified as possible.

So that's why less than an hour away from the appointed day Wally proceeded to cheekily remind Artemis that he had, by no means, forgotten this year.

"Hey, you know what tomorrow is right, babe?" he said as he pulled on a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

She rolled her eyes. When he reached out to pinch her she swatted him and affixed her gaze on their team members. The others were picking their way across the warehouse floor, surveying for any possible leads as to its former occupants whereabouts. Wally and Artemis were perched on the catwalk, acting as lookout.

"Do I have to remind you that we're on a mission Kid?" Artemis said, refusing to so much as glance at him, even when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled his chin into the crook of her neck.

"Awww, c'mon Arty, just say it. I know you know," he prompted.

"Wally," Artemis groaned, attempting to shove him away, "stop. I know you're only acting more moronic than usual because of your absurd amount of excitement for this ridiculous holiday but we're on a mission. Get. Off."

Wally obliged, only pulling away, though, after he had run a hand down her arm causing a trail of Goosebumps to rise along her bare skin.

Artemis shivered and peered at him though lidded eyes, "Wall-" she began to whisper before her eyes flew open. She slammed her hands against his chest, pushing him to the other side of the catwalk as she yelled, "LOOK OUT!"

Wally watched in horror as a crowbar swung out of the shadows, aimed at her stomach. Artemis held up her bow to deflect it but whoever was wielding the crowbar saw her lower her weapon in favor of protecting the lower half of her anatomy and redirected his blow for her head. Artemis, whose reflexes normally would have prepared her for this, was still off-guard and didn't react as fast as she should have. The crowbar collided with her temple and sent her limp form tumbling from her perch, the last thing Wally saw was her ponytail trailing after her like the tail of a kite in the wind.

"Artemis!" Wally shouted, elbowing the idiot with the crowbar hard enough to send the man to his knees, before he pitched himself forward, prepared to jump after her.

"I have her Wally," M'gann called through their mind link, and Wally gripped the edge of the catwalk, barely stopping his body from careening into the air. He looked down to see Artemis' form hovering inches from the warehouse floor, suspended only by M'gann's telekinesis. "She's fine."

Wally nodded solemnly and then turned back to the lackey on the catwalk that was still trying to catch his breath. Wally was pretty sure the guy was dressed in all black, typical villain garb, but all he could see was red, "Yeah? Well he's not gonna be."

"Kid, apprehend the suspect and bring him down to us," Kaldur ordered, "he is not to be harmed."

"Kal, this guy hit Artemis in the head with a crowbar. Do you seriously expect me to-"

"Kid Flash, I expect you to do your job. We are all worried about Artemis," Kaldur said, his voice wavering and Wally could just barely make out the frantic thoughts of his teammates stretching across the link.

Somewhere deep in the back of his subconscious he could see Dick's thoughts. They streamed through his head like pictures, images, first of Artemis falling through the stagnant air and then of two circus performers, dressed in white and red leotards, falling and falling; but there was no M'gann to save them. Wally shook his head.

"Fine," Wally said aloud, narrowing his eyes at the lackey in front of him, "but let's hurry. Artemis needs medical attention."

It would be an understatement to say that Wally was worried. For the next twenty one hours that Artemis was in the medical bay, slipping in an out of a coma, Wally was bordering hysterical.

When he wasn't sitting at her bedside he was pacing hazily, at speeds that eventually formed a trench around her cot.

Twice M'gann had to bring him food from the kitchen, because he refused to leave the room even at the bribery of cookies, but he never ate. When he did catch himself eating it was impulsive, a nervous routine of picking up whatever was closest to him and shoving it into his mouth. The three or four times he caught himself doing this he simply stared down at whatever he had been consuming, his gaze flicking from the food to Artemis' pale face before he tossed the food to the side and picked up one of her hands with both of his own.

As the hours went by Wally watched dozens of people come and go. The rest of the team never left but they all chose to give Wally his space by ambling in the hall outside the med bay. Green Arrow came only once. He pushed his hood back from his face and bowed his head as he watched his protégé's shallow breathing, he left shortly after on call from the League for an important mission that Wally had already forgotten the details of. Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado were frequent visitors, often coming in and adjusting all of the medical equipment before patting Wally on the shoulder, or in RT's case nodding stiffly, and leaving just as abruptly as they'd arrived.

At six in the morning Black Canary came in and asked if he was leaving for school, Wally simply stared at her, his hands still encasing Artemis', and the woman had nodded in acknowledgment before leaving them alone.

Wally watched Artemis' visage turn a sickly gray. He watched the skin surrounding her eyes slowly bruise until she appeared to be wearing a purple domino mask. He watched her eyelids spasm as if she were having nightmares and on one occasion he watched her jerk forward, her nose crinkled in pain before going limp again.

He wasn't watching when she woke up. He'd fallen asleep, his head resting on her cot, the rest of him still seated in the chair by her side, when he felt a sharp pinch on his hand.

Forever the light sleeper Wally looked up and found Artemis frowning at him. She had propped herself up and was busy rearranging her hair into a tight knot. The bruise under her eyes made her gaze seem even more tempestuous, if that was possible. For a moment he was too shocked to speak, believing that he was still dreaming but when Artemis finished tying her ponytail and flicked it in his direction sending a fistful of blonde hair into his open mouth he knew this was real.

He spat out the hair and stuttered, "Are you-"

"What happened?" she demanded hoarsely, not patient enough to wait for him to stumble through his question.

"You-" Wally choked, still trying to process that she was awake, "You got hit in the head."

"No shit, Wally," Artemis said, rubbing a finger over her right temple, "I meant with the mission. Did you get that asshole with the crowbar?"

"Yeah," Wally said, not surprised that she was less concerned with her own well-being than the objective, "turned him over for questioning. He was the only one there."

"Dammit," Artemis sighed, fiddling with the IV attached to her arm, "I let my guard down. Nice going Kid Smut."

"Artemis- don't," Wally said, placing a hand over hers as she tried to unhook her IV drip, "you've been unconscious for almost a whole day. Don't mess with the equipment."

"Have I- was I in a coma again?" Artemis groaned, placing a hand on head before hissing sharply and removing it. Wally winced at again, not wishing to remember the last time this had happened, and grabbed her hand before she could start poking the bruises under her eyes. Her skin was flushed, thankfully, no longer ashen and she seemed fine besides the obvious bruises and tired drooping of her eyelids.

"Yeah, and need I remind you that you were hit in the head?" Wally said, gesturing to the bandage that was tightly wrapped around her cranium. "Stop moving around so much."

"Sorry," Artemis said, looking away from him, and for a moment Wally thought she meant for getting hurt, "I'm sorry I ruined your big day."

Wally tilted his head, "What big day?"

Artemis' head whipped to look at him and a smile slowly crept up her face. Wally felt relief unfurl inside his chest at the sight of her smile. For a short anxious minute he had been worried that he'd never see her smile again, even though he knew her injuries weren't that serious. But she was fine, and Wally was a little shocked by how much he'd relied on her smile to let him know everything would be okay.

"You mean you forgot again," Artemis said deviously, interrupting his thoughts, "well then that's 2 – 0 Wall-man."

"What? What did I-" Wally began to demand but he was silenced by Artemis leaning forward and pressing her lips to his once and then twice. As she pulled away, she twisted her hands in his hair and whispered ever so sweetly, "Happy Valentine's Day Wally."

"Happy-" Wally blanched, his eyes flying open. He pulled away from her, taking in her satisfied smirk as he groaned, "No~ Not again. This is all your fault."

"Sure, Wally," Artemis said, and he yelped as she pulled him closer. Wally stared as she pulled him in; just before their lips met she laughed and whispered, "sure."

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