Chapter 5: Secrets
Dick woke up first. He rolled over and looked at the clock on his nightstand and groaned when he saw the time then groaned again when he realized he was still wearing his workout clothes from the previous night and that he was incredibly sore.
Stretching out, his arm bumped Artemis causing the girl to stir and begin to wake up and the events of last night rushed back to him as the feeling of panic kicked in.
"Artemis?" Dick questioned bolting upright. "We overslept!"
"To the contrary, master Richard." Alfred greeted walking into the room with Artemis' ironed clothes in one hand and a tray holding two cups of peppermint tea in the other. "Master Bruce felt that you both required some extra rest and instructed me to let you sleep in. He would like to speak with both of you in his study after you've showered and dressed."
Richard took the offered cup of tea and eyed Artemis worriedly. The elder teen returned the look. "If you would please come with me, young madam." Alfred beckoned to Artemis handing her the drink. "You may prepare yourself in the room across the hall."
Artemis glanced back at Richard before following the butler.
Dick set his cup down on his bedside table and collapsed backwards into his bed. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation with Bruce and he was dreading even more the rest of the day. Memories of his conversation with Artemis last night were coming back to him and one thing was standing out more than the rest: Roy knows.
There was no telling how this was going to play out. He sighed and forced himself to stand back up. It was time to get ready for the day.
He quickly showered and dressed. It was Saturday but he still had to go to school and he had his mock debate today. He donned a pair of khaki's and a plain red button down shirt. He had considered wearing jeans and a pullover but knew that Alfred would just send him back to his room to change. He wasn't in the mood to play the run-around so he got dressed correctly the first time.
His notes for the debate were on his desk and his notebooks for the decathalon and mathlete competitions were already in his bag. He grabbed his notecards and a pen and shoved them into the side of his shoulder bag and was about to leave the room when he felt a familiar twinge behind his right eye.
He paused.
Turning back around, he moved towards his desk drawer and reached for the bottle of caffeine pills. He shook three into his hand and started to put the bottle back in the drawer before thinking better of it and dropping it into his bag.
He took one of the tablets pocketing the remaining two and grabbed his cup of tea sipping it. There was no way he was going to be able to make it through the day without them.
Artemis was already dressed and sitting in a chair in front of Bruce's desk when Dick entered the study. The two were talking and Bruce waved a hand at his son motioning him in.
"I was just telling Artemis that her mother called this morning worried and looking for her." Bruce started as Dick took a seat in the chair beside Artemis. "At the time I had no idea that Artemis was even here. What's going on?"
The duo before him exchanged a look. Both remained silent. Bruce sighed and leaned back in his chair resting his hands neatly on the edge of his desk. Artemis swallowed hard before giving Bruce the censored version of the previous nights' events.
"I'm sorry, uncle Bruce. Roy and my dad were going at it and I just had to get out of there." Artemis finished, internally adding, It was my fault.
But Dick seemed to be able to sense her thoughts because he shook his head and gently covered her hand with his for a moment.
Bruce noted the bruises on the girl's neck and frowned. "And I see you were caught in the middle."
Artemis followed Bruce's gaze and her hand shot up to her neck as she sunk down in her seat, suddenly self conscious. She couldn't lie about the bruise because she had seen him at the cave, but she couldn't tell him the truth either.
Bruce's expression softened. "Dinah mentioned that Roy and Oliver had been fighting again, and I understand your need to leave the situation, but that's no excuse. Artemis, you cannot run away from home. At the very least you should have called your mother and told her where you were going or informed myself or Alfred that you were here. Dick, you also know better."
Dick chewed on his bottom lip. "I know. I'm sorry, dad."
Bruce gave his son a stern look. "You and I will discuss this more later."
Dick looked down but nodded. Artems frowned. She hadn't meant to get Dick into trouble.
Bruce cleared his throat before eyeing the two teens before him carefully. "You came here instead of going to the mountain. That within itself tells me that something more personal is going on."
Artemis shifted uncomfortably. Bruce's brow furrowed for a moment before a gentle understanding took over. "What happened last night... Is Roy using again?"
Silence. The two teens exchanged a look before looking back down at their laps.
Dick's stomach was in knots. He wanted to tell Bruce everything right then and there. He couldn't stand to see Artemis, one of his teammates and closest friends, the girl who was more like an older sister to him than big cousin, continue to get hurt. She was family. Roy too. He was his brother. One of his very best friends and they were suffering and his silence was only allowing it to go on longer.
He looked into Artemis' eyes and hated himself all the more. Her look was pleading, begging him to keep her secret for just a little while longer. He knew he wasn't going to say anything. He couldn't betray her.
Bruce watched the exchange and noticed the subtle change in his son's demeanor. The boy looked utterly defeated.
"I see," Bruce commented with a frown, his eyes still on Dick. "Alright, I'll make some calls and see what I can do. In the meantime, I've already called Dinah and let her know that you were safe and that I would bring you home in a little while. Canary has cancelled all team training sessions for this weekend. I think she just wants you home. Some family time might be just what you need."
They all stood to leave.
"Hey," Bruce said quietly, stopping Dick with a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let this distract you. You still have to prep for the decathalon and the mathlete competition not to mention you have your mock debate tonight. I know you're worried about your friends but I need your head in the game."
Dick nodded and Bruce patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"You've got this," Bruce told his son. "I know you do. Just don't lose focus. I'll see what I can do to help Roy in the meantime."
Dick forced a smile and nodded again before picking up his shoulder bag and following after Artemis.
For Wallace West the weekend started off rough. He could hear his parents discussing something rather loudly even before his mother opened his bedroom door and his father pulled back the comforter on his bed.
"See," Wally heard his dad say. "No girl."
His mother frowned and crossed her arms. "She could be hiding. Not that you would care." she rolled her eyes.
Wallace rolled over and sat up rubbing his eyes. "Hey! Privacy please, parents!" he shouted pulling his duvet back over his legs, grateful that he was wearing boxers because sometimes he slept without them.
His mother gave him a look and his father half smirked. Wally cocked an eyebrow. Okay, yeah. Something was definately up.
He sighed, speeding out of his bed and into the hall bathroom and quickly got dressed before racing back to his room and sitting on his bed with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. It took about seven seconds.
"Okay, good morning mom and dad." Wally grinned brushing his teeth and tying his shoe as he sat in front of them. "What's on your mind this fine morning?"
His father filled him in at the kitchen table while his mother made breakfast. Wally shook his head and checked his phone.
"No, dad. I haven't heard from her." He said with a frown. "She just up and left last night?"
Rudolph nodded at his son. "That's what her mother said. Thought she might be here with you."
Wally checked his phone again. "No. She didn't call or text me. That's weird. Hold on, let me call her."
Voicemail. "Hey beautiful," Wally spoke to the machine. "Give me a call when you get this. Love you." He hung up and sent a text saying to call him. He sent one to Dick and Roy too.
It was Kaldur who called him back five minutes later. Wally answered the call and devoured his breakfast before telling his parents he was going out. It was Saturday. They didn't mind. He promised to phone home if he heard from Artemis so they could tell her parents if they knew anything.
His mother still didn't seem completely happy about the situation but he was grateful when his father gave her a kiss and shooed him out the door.
He had to meet up with Kal and fast. This was bad. Really bad.
Dick ignored his breakfast choosing instead to guzzle two large cups of coffee as he reviewed his notecards for the debate.
Bruce didn't comment as he watched his son prepare, eyeing the untouched plate of pancakes and eggs with a frown.
Dick looked over his notecards, a pen between his teeth for changes and a highlighter behind his right ear to embolden key ideas. His tablet was in his hand scanning for any new information he could use.
He didn't need to eat. It would only slow him down at this point. He needed to focus. Alfred had forced him to eat dinner last night. That was good enough. And if he was being completely honest, he didn't have much of an appetite. His stomach was still twisted in knots over what to do about Artemis and Roy. The only reason he was drinking the tea and coffee was because he knew that Bruce and Alfred were going to hound him if he didn't eat or drink something and he needed the caffeine to keep him going. He was still exhausted and felt like he was running on fumes. He couldn't stop now.
Artemis would be going home after breakfast and based off of what she had told him last night, Oliver was only getting worse. There was no telling what he would do to her if he was alone with her again. How far would he go?
A cold shudder ran through him and he shook his head clearing it from his thoughts. He needed to focus. He shuffled his cards and took a long sip of his coffee.
What about Roy? He had figured out earlier in the week that the teen was definately using again. And now Bruce knew too, which meant that soon both his Uncle Ollie and Aunt Dinah would know and maybe they could get Roy some help. That wasn't so bad.
But Roy also knew about what Ollie had been doing to Artemis. How was he going to react to that? Would he tell? Would he go after Oliver himself? Would he relapse again? Roy was already using now. Was this new information about to make it worse?
Dick shook his head. He couldn't do this right now. He turned off his tablet and shoved his cards into his bag. He downed the rest of the coffee in his cup and glanced across the table at Bruce and Artemis.
"Ready?" he asked ignoring the tightness that was clutching at his chest. He could feel the familiar panic trying to set in. He clenched his fists under the table.
Bruce picked up his cup and casually sipped his coffee. "Dick, you haven't even touched your plate."
"No time." Dick replied standing up. That was half true. The other half was that he was certain that he wouldn't be able to keep any of it down with the way his stomach was turning flips. He was barely certain he wuld be able to keep down the tea and coffee. He needed to get to school. "I don't wanna be late. Artemis?"
Artemis finished off her juice and stood up nodding. She wasn't in any rush to get back home but she had finished her food a little while ago and she recognized the look in Dick's eye. That, coupled with the way he kept clenching and uncleching his fist against his bag told her exactly what was up and she had a feeling it was partly her fault.
"I'm ready, Uncle Bruce." Artemis said glancing at the man still sitting at the table.
Bruce nodded, he was concerned but his face betrayed nothing as he finished off his coffee and stood up starting after the two teens.
Kaldur had called him from Roy's apartment. It was a safehouse he had in Gotham not too far from Artemis and Dick's school. Apparently he had gone to check on the teen and found him in rough shape. Wally hadn't wanted to alarm his parents. They had enough going on worrying about him and Artemis. Where was she anyway?
He had told Kal that he would pick up the usual supplies and stop by. He didn't know what was going on with Roy lately, but they had suspected that the older teen had relapsed, this just proved their fears.
He left directly after breakfast, stopping to pick up some essentials along with bread, bananas and gatorade before zeta'ing to the safe house. Kaldur let him in.
"He looks awful." Wally commented eyeing the passed out teen in the bed.
The bedroom door was open and all of the windows in the apartment were halfway up. He wrinkled his nose. He could make out the faint smell of bleach and pine-sol like someone had been scrubbing the hardwood floors of the apartment recently. He spotted the waste basket next to the bed and the washcloth draped over Roy's neck. The sheets were tangled up around his waist and legs and he was still sweating despite wearing nothing but his boxers. His back and arms were littered in bruises. Wally winced just looking at him and shook his head.
"What the hell happened?" Wally asked following Kaldur into the kitchen. "I suspected he was using again, but I didn't think it was this bad. Is Ollie drinking again?"
Kaldur'ahm took the groceries from the redheaded speedster. "I am not sure, but that seems the most likely answer."
They both knew that Oliver had a violent streak when he was drinking. Roy had never admitted aloud to them had bad things were, but they noticed. The redheaded archer had always covered for his father, Wally assumed in an effort to protect his younger sister, but Oliver had never seemed like the kind of guy who would raise his hand to a woman. Let alone his own daughter. Hell, the man wasn't even that fond of taking down female villains.
There was just something about raising his hand to a woman that had never seemed to set right with Oliver Queen and Wally could relate to that. He could never imagine Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, raising his hand to his wife or daughter.
Sure, he had seen Roy and Ollie go at it a few times. Things had never gotten physical, not in front of him anyway, but they had sure come close more than once. Both men were stubborn and strong-willed. It was no surprise that sometimes they would clash. And he hated it when they did.
Roy would shut down for a bit sometimes. Artemis took it hard too. He thought that sometimes she blamed herself for what was going on. Maybe that's what happened last night. She had seen Roy and Oliver fighting and left home for a bit to get away. But why hadn't she come to him?
Wallace frowned. "Have either of you heard from Artemis? Apparently she's missing. Her parents called mine thinking she was with me, but I haven't heard from her. I was concerned before but after seeing Roy I'm worried. What the hell happened last night?"
Kaldur turned back to face his friend frowning. "I haven't heard from her. Roy called me last night, he sounded out of it. By the time I arrived he was already..." He looked pass Wally back into the open bedroom at his best friend lying almost unconscious in his bed.
Wally put a reassuring hand on Kaldur's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "It's not your fault man." He said quietly. "There was nothing any of us could do."
Kaldur'ahm nodded once and gave Wally a small smile, grateful to his friend. "Before he became sick he told me that he and Mr. Queen got into a fight last night. He said his father had hurt Artemis and that it was his fault, but that's all that I could get out of him. I do not know the full story of what happened. Nor have I heard from Artemis."
Wally was about to comment when his phone went off signaling he had a text message. It was from Dick.
Dick Grayson W.: What's up kf? At practice. Text me.
Wally West: Hey, Arty is missing. Parents totally flipped on me this morning. Heard from her? BTW at Roy's place by your skl. He's definately relapsed. Fight with Ollie last nite. Kal is here too.
Dick Grayson W.: Fuck! Art is fine. She was at the manor last nite. I'll explain later. B took her home after he dropped me off. How's Roy?
Dick Grayson W.: B knows about Roy's relapse. 'rents will probably know soon. Might be best to keep him there.
Wally West: Copy. She tell you what happen? Roy's in bad shape but we got it covered.
Dick Grayson W.: GTG. Call Art. Keep me posted.
Wally frowned down at his phone. "Artemis is headed home." he told Kaldur. "Apparently she spent the night at Dick's place."
Kaldur raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Wally sighed. "I'm calling her now." He dialed her number on his phone. It went straight to voicemail. His phone bleeped a moment later with a text.
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): Hey. Can't talk txt me.
Most Epic BF (Wally): Hey beautiful. You okay?
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): Yeah. Fine. Sorry, long nite. Wats up?
Most Epic BF (Wally): World was ending. Parents freaked out. You were missing. Guess they thought I kidnapped you. Need me too?
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): LOL. No. Sorry. Crashed at Uncle B manor.
Most Epic BF (Wally): Why? Something happen?
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): Not really. Minor disagreements with 'rents. All good now
Most Epic BF (Wally): Sure babe? Need me to come over?
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): No that's okay. Heard from Roy?
Most Epic BF (Wally): Yeah. At his safehouse now by Gotham Acad. Kal's here.
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): Is he okay?
Most Epic BF (Wally): Yeah. He relapsed. B knows?
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): Yeah... Keep him there. Mom and B are talking now. Think you can sober him up by Mon?
Most Epic BF (Wally): We can try. Are you sure everything's ok? Kal can stay with him. I can come by.
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): I'm ok. Just really tired. Gonna crash. Call you later?
Most Epic BF (Wally): Yeah. NP
Most Epic BF (Wally): I love you
Hottest Girlfriend Ever (AQ): Love you too
Wally looked up from his phone and sighed. What the hell was going on?
Artemis collapsed back in her bed with her pillow over her face. Things were completely falling apart and it was all her fault. She had lied to Wally and practically brushed him off. He was being sweet. He was concerned and she couldn't seven talk to him. She had taken the cowardly way approach and texted him. It was the only way she could communicate right now. If she had answered his call she was positive her voice would have betrayed her. No, she needed Wally to believe everything was alright. Besides, he was with Roy. He was more useful there than coming over to hold her hand as she tried not to break down.
Bruce was downstairs talking with Dinah now. They believed the problem was Roy and his drug habit. Her big brother had relapsed and she had inadvertantly thrown him under the bus.
It wasn't his fault. It was hers. It was Olivers!
If he hadn't been drinking... She shook the thought from her head. Roy would have never lost his temper. He would never have seen Oliver, his father, trying to hurt her.
Things had always been a bit dicey between Roy and their father, especially once their parents had discovered Roy's drug problem, and they had only gotten worse since Queen Consolidated had become under seige. Oliver had started drinking heavily then and he and Roy had started butting heads even more.
They just needed to survive the weekend. If they could ride it out 'til Monday all could be worked out. It was getting through the rest of the weekend that was proving to be difficult.
Artemis sighed and shut her eyes tight ignoring the sting behind them ass she willed her tears not to flow. She had already gotten Dick in trouble with Bruce and she had still forced him to keep quiet even though she knew he hated it. She saw him at breakfast. He looked like he was about to break. He couldn't even eat. It was all he could do to keep from having a panic attack right then and there.
She would have to call and check on him later. She knew he was busy with practice but she had reognized that look in his eye. He had apologized to her as he had gotten out the car when Bruce dropped him off at the school. Of course his father had assumed the teen was talking about everything that had happened that morning but Artemis knew better. He was apologizing in advance for what he was about to do. She had nodded in understanding. She couldn't blame him, after all, it was no doubt her actions that had drawn him to it.
She knew how stressed he got before a competition. She knew how hard he worked, how intense his focus became. He wanted to make Bruce proud. His father pushed him to excel and give 110% in everything. She knew the man expected the absolute best from his son and still she had pressured Dick to keep her secret. No wonder he had been about to crack.
She looked up and over at her window as she heard a car approach. It was the Wayne limo. They had driven Oliver's car back to her house and now Alfred was here to pick up Bruce.
Great, she thought slightly annoyed. Now for a heart to heart with mom before she grounds me for a year.
Dinah had been relieved to see her daughter and had held her tight for a long minute when Bruce had pulled up to their home. She had gently scolded the girl for scaring her and running off the way she had before sentencing her to wait in her room while she had a talk with her "Uncle Bruce".
Artemis let out an exasperate breath and sat up straight in her bed as she watched Bruce Wayne get into the back of the limosine. She wasn't a child anymore.
Just make it to Monday, she told herself. Focus on the positive. Dad's in his room still passed out after all the excitement last night. Mom said she's staying home the rest of the weekend. Small blessings.
There was a knock at the door before her mother entered wearing a sad smile.
"Oh, Artemis." Dinah started. She sat down beside the girl on her bed an enveloped her daughter in a hug. "It's okay, babygirl. I'm sorry you were caught in the middle of that."
Artemis held her mother tighter as silent tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, mom. I'm so sorry." Artemis hiccupped. She couldn't tell her mother the truth but at least she could apologize.
A/N: To Be Continued...