Getting Traught
One of the curses of being a speedster was how slow life around him would move at times. The attack his body was suffering seemed to last forever. Of all the ways Wally had imagined dying, lying on the floor while some poison began shutting down his vital systems had not been one of them. For someone who suffered from claustrophobia the idea of being trapped in his own body terrified him. A speedster was born to be in constant motion, but now he could no longer feel the adrenaline, the vibration his body he experienced before shifting in to supersonic speeds. All he could do now was wait.
He never spoke of it to anyone, not even Dick, but he always doubted he would live long enough to face a tribunal. He had almost ended the life of the daughter of two known, two very dangerous assassins; it was just a matter of time before they would find him. Jade had started the job back in Gotham when she stabbed him, it. He knew his actions in Yellowstone were what had drawn them there, but he never regretted it, the risks were worth it when lives were at stake, they always had been. Deep down he knew his judgment day would come, he just always assumed it would be at the hands of Lawrence Crock not his ex-wife. His last thoughts were of Artemis and the relief that she would live, and the pain of regret of never seeing her again. He hoped the afterlife was just as Kent Nelson had advertised.
Wally's body jerked as an acid burn passed through his veins. He could feel every capillary, every nerve firing, sending pain filled signals back to his brain. He knew Cheshire was behind him somewhere, and assumed she would finish the job she started the day Artemis was wheeled into emergency surgery.
"Stop struggling Wallace, it will be over soon."
He gave into the pain and complied. He spent his final moments praying and asking forgiveness. Paula cradled his head and rubbed her fingers through his sweat soaked hair, he knew it was an odd gesture, but he just didn't care anymore, he just wanted it to be over. He hoped the poison would take him first before Cheshire's blade did. He closed his eyes.
Then slowly the nausea subsided and the ache in his head eased. Wally had always read that death was a release from pain and suffering, but this seemed different. The room stopped spinning and he could begin to feel a tingle in his extremities. To his utter shock he watched as he raised his arm under his own power. It was sloppy, barely controllable, but he was doing it. He found enough balance and strength to struggle to his knees.
He looked up confusedly and gazed into Paula's sympathetic eyes.
"I...I don't understand."
"I'm sorry Wally, but I couldn't have you running off before we had a chance to talk. Things didn't go well between us the last time we were together, and I wasn't leaving anything to chance. I know how elusive speedsters can be and we've been searching for you for quite a while. I needed you still, and unfortunately this was the best method."
His hand reached back and rubbed the tender part of his neck where the syringe had been inserted.
"Antidote," she smiled. "Jellyfish toxin is powerful enough on its own, but you have to add a few more compounds to it in order to knock down a speedster."
"But..." he asked, but Paula cut him off
"Answer me this Wally, was any of it real?"
It was a vague question considering all that had transpired, but Wally knew exactly what she meant.
"Yes mam," he sighed as he felt his eyes begin to burn again.
"The funeral, the mourning, all the time you spent with me. all the comfort. It was real to you wasn't it?"
"I...I wasn't sure she was coming back," he answered. " Every day was like an eternity, and the times our teams fought... it was….. torture. I wasn't sure who she was anymore, I'm not sure she did either. And when I was close to having her back I almost kil..."
He couldn't finish, it was too hard. Wally had spent the last months trying to forgive himself, but being with her mom allowed the guilt to force its way back in.
"I'm so sorry Mrs. Crock, I am so sorry for what I did to you, what I did to everyone, but I didn't know what else to do. One slip, one mistake and she could have discovered and it would have been all my fault. We both know what they would have done to her. You'll never understand how sorry I am."
"I know you are Wally, I never wanted to believe you were behind this. I have always held you to a higher standard. You were the one to show her the way, dragging her out of this godforsaken life, but when a mother is watching her daughter almost die and the man responsible is standing right there, well I'm sure you can guess the rest."
"Deceit can destroy your soul Wally, my family is a prime example. I knew Artemis was different, I knew she wanted out. Thank god for Oliver and Dinah, but she would never had made it...without you. You're a good person Wally, you open your heart to more people you should, people who don't deserve it. Don't become like me. It's hard to ever come back."
He tried to smile, to thank her, but he didn't have it in him
"I've come to send you back. You have a wonderful woman back in Gotham who needs you desperately, we all do, but Wally you have to swear to me you will never do something like this again."
Wally contemplated he request, no her order, and hated what his response was going to be.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Crock, but I can't. I never want to go down this road ever - ever again, but I would do it all over if it meant saving her life. I'd give my life for hers in a nanosecond …" he swallowed hard. "I'd….I'd kill to protect her."
Paula gently smiled and nodded. "Let's hope it never comes down to that shall we." She disapproved of his reply, but deep down felt comfort that there was always going to be one man who do anything to protect her daughter who was unfortunately prone to recklessness from time to time. They were a perfect match.
"I will promise you this, I will never ever let her do something like this again. You have my word if it's still worth anything."
"Then that's a good place start isn't it," she smiled. "Now unless you have something better to do, I highly suggest you be on your way. Visiting hours only last so long."
Wally's muscles were about to explode, he was preparing to find a gear he had not used in a long time, but froze momentarily. He just stared at Paula, very hesitant, very uncomfortable. He fought against his better judgment and lost. Suddenly he was kneeling next to her and reached over and hugged her.
"Thank you." He whispered and before she could hug back or even begin to think of a response, he was gone.
After all the activity within the room over the past hours, it now carried a calming silence. Cheshire slowly stalked out of the shadows and joined her mother.
"She is lucky to have him," Paula spoke.
Jade sighed, unbelieving what she was about to say.
"We all are Mom. They go well together in their own stupid way."
"Yes they do," she smiled. Yes they do."
Outside of Gotham Memorial, the speedster stood silently, staring up at the marquee, wondering where to begin, where to start. Words had escaped him. He sighed, closed his eyes, and walked into the building.
When he finally gathered the courage, Wally entered the room hesitantly, carrying a bouquet of flowers, expecting her to be asleep. Instead she was sitting up in her bed, Zatanna by her side. They were in mid conversation when the room fell silent.
"I think that's my cue," she said quietly. The magician walked by Wally and kissed his cheek.
"It's about time," she whispered and left the room smiling.
Finally alone, the room remained quiet, the two lovers unsure what to say or how to begin, Artemis broke the silence
"Where have you been?" her voice quietly cracking with emotion.
"Putting out fires?" Wally smiled meekly.
"I knew it," she grinned." Artemis felt the beginning of a tear fall and quickly wiped it away. She glanced at her boyfriend from head to toe and was not happy with his appearance. "My god Wally when was the last time you ate, how much weight have you lost"
Within seconds she evolved from the recovering patient to his spitfire. "Don't you ever leave me again, do you understand me?"
Wally nodded and made his way to her bedside and sat down next to her. They both embraced and held on silently for minutes. No words spoken, but so much communication passing between them.
He reluctantly broke the embrace and gently touched the scars on her shaven head. He swallowed hard as his lip forced it way up into the saddest frown she had ever seen on him. His fingers forced his eyes closed, as it began to sink in all the damage he had done to her.
"Don't!" she snapped. "Don't you dare. This wasn't your fault. I should have taken the damn thing off as soon as I switched sides."
All he could do was look at the lacerations, the fractures that she suffered all because of him. Wally tried hard to hold back the sobs, but was failing miserably at it.
She brought his eyes dark green eyes back to hers. "Wally look at me." She grabbed him by his face. "Look at me," she calmly demanded. "This wasn't your fault. It was an accident. I'm sorry but you're just going to have to accept it. It could have happened to anyone" she whispered drawing the foreheads together.
"But it didn't," he said while clearing his throat. "It happened to you because of me. I was supposed to protect you, but when I saw you hanging all over him, I thought I'd lost you. I wanted to kill him Artemis, end his stupid ass life right then and there. I should have trusted you, believed in you."
"You did Wally. From the moment I left with Kaldur on that sub, you did trust me."
She felt the same sobs forming in her throat, but powered through.
"I hated, fucking hated what I did to you, what I made you do. Every time we saw each other and I had to be his girl, I wanted to cut his throat and run to you, demand you to take me away from everything and everyone. Just be the two of us again."
He watched the hot tears streaming down her dry face.
"Is there any way back for us?" he asked with a deep sadness clouding his eyes.
"There better be," she smiled. "I didn't risk everything to not have you. You're never leaving my side again Baywatch, you don't do so we'll when I'm not around. Someone's go to watch over you and it might as well be me, I don't see anyone else lining up for the job."
In that one statement his Artemis was back. The snarky smartass, who would bust his balls, call him out on every miscue, every mistake in front of everybody and everyone, but could be the most tender, most gentle girlfriend when they were alone, away for prying eyes. She would become so vulnerable, so sweet, and open up and tell him things she could never share with anyone, knowing full well he would keep those secrets locked away from everyone. He would love and protect her and treat her in ways she never thought she deserved.
She kissed him. Gently. Softly. The fury of emotion burning in their minds that would have to wait for another day, when she was finally healed and she could release all the pent up emotion and frustration she had held from the moment she had left. When they were finally alone she would show him how much she loved and missed him. Several times.
"You didn't burn our apartment down while I was gone did you?"
"Kind of moved out, it wasn't a home without you." he replied.
Artemis began to chastise him for his actions, but realized how vulnerable he was, and honestly she would have done the same thing. "It was just a place," she whispered resting her head in his chest. "We'll always fine another one."
"I'm sorry I did this to you Artemis."
"Wally!" she protested
"Shhhhhh... That's all I'm going to say. Now it's time for you to get better. I've only been here a few minutes and I already hate this place."
"Wally West hating hospitals, stop the presses. Why don't you loan me some of that accelerated healing you selfishly keep for yourself."
"Sorry it's part of the Flash trademark. Copyright protected."
"Dork," she smiled.
"Harpy," he grinned.
He let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore the exhaustion. "Sorry. I'm a little pooped."
"Putting out forest fires and being drugged with jellyfish toxin will do that to you. Yeah mom called and told me. I just wanted you home, but she always has some unique ways of getting the job done."
"You could say that," he smiled.
She wouldn't let go of his hand, wouldn't let him get as much as a foot away from her. "I'm sorry about what Jade did to you. She and I are going to go round and round about that when I get out of here."
"No you're not," he sighed. "Let's just call it even. I would have done the same thing, well not the stabling part, but something pretty badass I would think."
"From what Z told me I sounds like you and Dick almost did. Are you two going to be ok?"
"Yeah," Wally smiled. "I think we are," and he meant every word of it. They'd been to hell and back, but through the whole ordeal, they had been there for each other, even in times when they didn't realize it. Wally knew he had a lot of fences to mend, but Dick Grayson would be at the top of that list, after Artemis of course.
"Close your eyes Wally. Visiting hours are 24/7 for speedsters. Says it on the door and everything."
"I love you so much babe. Let's not do this again ok?"
She rubbed his head much the same way her mother did, comforting, loving. "Never again, I promise."
He kissed her head and they closed their eyes, finally feeling the warmth she had dreamed about for months. They both would finally sleep soundly.
Wally yawned and Artemis kissed his ear, whispering one final message before falling asleep. "I love you too Wally, but just so you know you are freaking crazy if you think we are letting you two take the fall for all this."
He sighed." In the morning beautiful, we'll deal with it in the morning." She smiled and held on tight. They could do anything as long as they were together. She was sure of it.
Author's Note. Come on. Did you really think I could kill Wally? Anyone who reads my stuff knows I'm a sucker for these two. January will be here before we know it. I hope the rest of the season lives up to our expectations. Unrelated the trailer for the new Superman movie is out. All I can say is DAMN! Nicely done. Two more chapters and I say so long to Fan Fiction for a while. I've gotten more reviews for this then my other stories and I thank everyone who's commented, makes a person feel good. I hope you have enjoyed it. I will post the rest shortly. R & R.