Chapter 6

Artemis wasn't exactly the religious type, growing up in a family of assassins rarely leads to a spiritual life, but one thing that upbringing never took away from her was hope. She was well on her way to finding it on her own when Green Arrow and Batman basically arrived on her door step. Now she was coming closer to being more like her parents every day, and she constantly reminded herself that she was fighting the good fight, but sometimes when she looked down at all the blood on her hands it became harder and harder to believe. Yet despite never really asking, never truly believing something like this even possible, she sat quietly watching a phenomenon sleeping on her couch. Before this she never thought miracles were real, but she was beginning to rethink that theory.

The redhead slept soundly on her sofa for the next fifteen hours, probably the first real sleep he had had in some time. Artemis wished she could have done the same, but her training was too well embedded. Shadows never sleep her father drilled into her, and until she moved into the cave and then with the speedster thereafter, she had never been a sound sleeper. The slightest noise or groan would jolt her senses awake, that was the only way to survive daddy said. She had been battling fatigue over the last several days, and being up most of the night had not helped. She came out of her room several times throughout the night to check on him, sometimes responding to any subtle movement, to make sure he was covered up and warm, to make sure he was still breathing, or just generally to assure herself he was still there and not a figment of her imagination.

Later that afternoon, she moved stealthily around her apartment, trying and succeeding in not disturbing her guest. At around 4:30 p.m. his eyes slowly opened. He almost looked like a whole different person from the one she found the night before, but the grumbles in his belly announced the hunger he probably felt too uncomfortable to mention. Artemis already had several sandwiches prepared for him, and the gleam in his eyes showed his gratitude as well as a curiosity as to how she was always one step ahead of his needs.

That evening after a healthy stir fry dinner, (she wasn't sure the last time he had any actual vegetables in his system), Wally sat quietly on her couch, trying to formulate some plan, some way to thank his benefactor for her kindness, and not to not impose on her anymore, but he still had no idea who he was or where he could go. Frustration draped his features despite his best attempts to hide it.

Regardless off his memory less, everything about him was spot on. His mannerisms, his expressions, the way he ate, the way he smiled. She had to remain guarded, but she wanted so desperately for this to be him, the real him

He had found a picture of Artemis and a few friends, sitting around a table at Antonio's Italian Bistro taken almost a year ago. He concentrated on it so hard, almost like he wanted the picture to speak to him, spark some memory, but nothing happened and he placed it back down carefully, but clearly frustrated. Everyone in it, including the beautiful blonde sitting next to him were strangers.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks to you. It's just my mind is racing, trying to find the answers and I don't even know the questions. I think I understand everything you've told me so far, I just wish I knew who I really was. Not the name, but the person."

"You will Wally; it just might take some time."

He nodded in acknowledgement, but she could read the disbelief he tried to hide.

"Artemis you've been incredibly nice to me, and I don't know how I'm going to replay you for it, but I will I promise.

"Wally you're fine. We're friends, that's what friends do." The words stung a bit as they left her lips, but were necessary for now. "After dinner well get out of the apartment for some fresh air and put together a plan to find your family and see what we can do about getting your memory back ok?"

"Ok," he smiled

It was a warm spring night in Gotham as they walked through Central Park West across from Artemis's apartment. She told him names of friends and places he'd known or had seen, hoping that anything sounded familiar, but nothing sparked in the speedster's mind. She could read the concern on his face, she always could, they'd been a couple since they were seventeen after all.

Artemis always snickered at sappy romantic comedies and their Hollywood bullshit portrayal of true love and relationships, but sometimes when no one was around it brought tears to her eyes when she realized that maybe one day she would probably marry what was essentially her high school sweetheart, the one person she had ever been truly in love with.

Those words seemed so fake to her sometimes. She loved her mother and despite their differences loved her sister as well, but that was unconditional, ingrained. Her father would rot in hell before she would even consider feeling something like that for him.

If you were supposed to fall in love with the first guy you ever slept with, someone forgot to tell Artemis. CameronMahkent had grown up in the family business like Artemis, and like her he hated the life that had been forced upon him, as well as the father he constantly disappointed. The two were left alone together often, forced to form a friendship and take care of each other while their parents disappeared for stretches at a time. That friendship morphed into something more, which led from a natural curiosity and exploration of sex at a much younger age than it should have. What was supposed to have been something meaningful to them both was an awkward and painful exercise that highlighted how mismatched they were. He wanted more of it; she wished they'd never done it in the first place.

Love was the last thing on her mind when Batman allowed her to join the group of young heroes. Despite a world of possibilities, the graceful archer and the clumsy but brilliant speedster slammed headlong into a relationship neither wanted, and soon couldn't live without.

It shouldn't have happened, should never has lasted, but that's exactly why it did. Opposites attract Wally would remind her, it's science. After the Watchtower she never had a desire to be with anyone else. Artemis had dated a few guys in her life, but none remotely held a candle to the love and respect she and Wally felt for each other. They saw things in each other no one else could see, shared private hopes, fears, and dreams that no one else could know. She wasn't sure if she believed in soulmates, but if she did, he was hers. A year and a half later as they walked through the park, she still felt the same way.

"Artemis what do I do if I can't remember, if my memories never come back?"

"I don't know Wally," she honestly answered, "but you have friends and family who love and care about you, you have a big support system out there, together we'll figure something out. In the meantime try not to get any more stressed, that's not going to help anything."

"Your right," he said and reached for her hand and squeezed encouragingly. "Thanks," he smiled and she returned it. He was lucky to have found her in a world full of strangers, but was curious that for someone he had lost contact with years ago, why had she been first person he sought out.

They went to bed shortly before ten. In the morning they would explore Gotham City together and see if it jarred any memories lose. Sooner or later she knew she would have to call Dick or Barry, to determine who and what he was, but the more time they spent together, they more she believed this was the man she fell in love with.

Wally tossed and turned in his sleep. Sometime during the night he had lost his shirt, the heat in her apartment being warmer than his already high body temperature had been around in some time. His head was jerking, his eyes bouncing under his eye lids. His moans had alerted the light sleeping archer, and Artemis was growing concerned, trying to find a way to carefully wake him from the nightmare it appeared he was having.

Suddenly he screamed "Artemis!" and in a blink of an eye was standing in the middle of her den covered in sweat, frantically searching the unfamiliar surroundings for something.

"Wally," she spoke carefully to the speedster on the verge of hyperventilating. "Wally I'm right here. You're in my apartment, you're safe."

His eyes were crazed and she was growing more concerned by the second. "Wally look at me," she carefully palmed his face and brought his eyes to hers, "You're safe, you're fine. It was just a dream. Ok?"

He nodded and closed his eyes, swallowing hard, trying to calm his breathing and himself. He took a few steps back and unsteadily made his way back to the couch. She grabbed a water bottle and opened it before handing it to him and carefully sitting down beside him.

"What was it?" she asked while he held the bottle straight up finishing it in seconds. He finished and took a deep breath."

"I ..I don't know. I'm… I'm sorry I woke you." He answered trying to dismiss the issue.

"Don't worry about that, it's fine. What were you dreaming about?" she asked.

"It was nothing," he said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, hoping she would believe him.

"It didn't sound like nothing, talk to me Wally," she implored.

He took a deep breath. "I have these dreams a lot," he said trying to slow his breath. "I'm running and my... my body starts just crumbling away, dissolving. I try so hard to keep it together, I run faster, but it doesn't stop, it just…I just… fade away., …and...there's this blinding light and…."

"And?' she urged

"That's basically it, it ends the same way every time, it so intense, and it keeps getting worse."

"You yelled my name?" she told him.

"I did?" he questioned.

"Yeah," she smiled holding his hand. "It's ok."

"I don't know why. I'm sorry. I barely even know you?"

"Wally, you've been through a lot. Lay back down. Nothing's going to happen to you here. I promise." She squeezed his hands once again "Do you believe me?"

"Yeah...yeah I do," he said gratefully.

"Go back to sleep Wally, I'm just in the next room if you need anything."

"Ok," he yawned, "Good night Artemis. I'm really sorry for waking you. I'm sorry about…everything."

"Don't even worry about it. Sleep well; I'll see you in a few hours."

"Ok," he yawned one final time as his eyes got heavy and closed.

xxx

The next morning they began their trek. Her phone carried an urgent message from her concerned employers that Carmine Falcone still drew breath, fearful that he may have possibly caught wind of the contract out on his life and had gone underground. She knew he would eventually have to pop his head up, until then her employers would have to be patient. She had no doubt she could convince them. They may be the ones who paid the bills, but they were not her boss, it might be time for Tigress to remind them of that again. She had never failed them before, but complicated operations like this took time, and they would have to adjust or find someone else. She knew deep down they would agree, in truth they were probably more fearful of her than those she hunted.

The traffic was thick through the streets of West Gotham as the two made their way to the subway station. Wally looked like a small child, caught in the amazement and wonder of the sights and sounds of the city around him. Despite his nightmares, she had finally seen him start to relax around her. He smiled more, and even began to joke with her a bit.

At some point leaving the train platform they witnessed a pick pocket remove the wallet from an unsuspecting businessman and move on. Artemis tensed as she saw Wally's concern. She could almost feel the engines in him come alive as she held him back slightly, just enough pressure to draw his attention away from the thief to her. Her natural instinct was to pursue, capture, punish, and she could sense that might be his reaction too, to spring into action, to help. Moments later the subway police tackled the man to the ground much to Artemis's relief.

When they reached street level Wally just stared at her. "Why didn't you stop him?" he asked curiously, no anger behind his word. "I saw you take on almost fifty people a few days ago, why not him?"

"It's complicated Wally, plus I saw the subway cops watching him the whole time, I knew they could catch him. I try not to draw attention to myself unless I absolutely have to. If it was life threatening I'd been on him in a second, but sometimes out in public you have to protect your identity. I wear a mask to protect my friends and family from someone hurting them because of me, but sometimes you have to let the little fish swim away so you can go after the big ones. Plus I could see you thinking about going after him, I think we both would be better off not having you knock down a few dozen people trying to reach a glorified purse snatcher, you're not exactly graceful," she smiled.

He sheepishly grinned back. "Point taken," but I still have a lot of questions about...your other identity."

"In time Wally, I'll tell you everything, for now let's just focus on you ok?"

He nodded, but she could tell it troubled him. Dual identifies were something her Wally never truly felt comfortable with, but understood the necessity of. She also knew how freeing it could be for him as well sometimes. How he could hide the shy and insecure person inside, behind the mask and let the hero within come out.

Her Wally hated the Tigress persona, hated what that person had done to his girlfriend and the things it had made her do. He would never accept that Tigress and Artemis were one in the same. Nothing had relieved Wally more than the day that suit was locked into the vault and retired.

This Wally had seen her action, possibly several times, and he needed to understand who she was and why she did it. Artemis had danced around the subject for days, but when she would finally sit down and tell him about her, he would have to know who he really was too. That was going to be a very complicated conversation.

Her Wally, this Wally. Those terms frustrated her. She wanted so badly for them to mean the same thing, she began to understand the difficulty Wally had sorting her from Tigress. She had thrown judgment and reason aside for now and allowed herself to be lost in the moment. She knew this could end at any second, but a second was a long time for a Flash. This time would be different; this time she wouldn't let him run out on her, or them, without a fight. A second could make all the difference.

She showed him the sites, the famous downtown area, the monuments, the harbor, the shopping and entertainment districts. All places they had been before, spent time at, but what piqued his curiosity the most was the recurring theme that appeared before them every few blocks.

"What do all the W's all over town stand for? Wally asked.

"Bruce Wayne. He owns like half of Gotham. Does that name mean anything to you?"

"No, not really. Should it?" He questioned.

"No," she said hiding her disappointment, "He's just really famous; I was just trying to get a feel for what you knew and what you didn't."

He seemed to buy it, but knowing who Bruce Wayne was would have been a real trigger. It would possibly have opened pathways to Batman, Dick Grayson, Nightwing, Robin, the Team, and then hopefully her. Artemis wasn't about to give up, she would just have to keep at it.

The grabbed a few hot dogs (one for her, four for him), when Wally stopped and stared at the nearby building in amazement.

"What is that?" he asked astonishingly, admiring the grand building with its distinctive architecture.

"It's the Gotham Central Library, do you remember it?

"No, but can we go in? I love libraries; at least I think I do."

They entered and the speedster was like a kid in a candy store. Wally West was a closet reader. He played the part of your typical red blooded American male; hanging with his friends, chasing girls, video games, dating, and heroics, but when he was alone, when things slowed down, if she wasn't in his arms, a book was.

Artemis was slightly embarrassed that she lived so close to one of the nicest libraries in the country, one of only handfuls that were open 24 hours a day, and didn't even own a library card.

If Gotham is the city that never sleeps, their library shouldn't either, that was their motto. She showed her driver's license, signed up for a library card, and within 10 minutes Wally left with 20 books to take home.

His memory loss had no bearing on his intelligence, the man she remembered was one of the smartest people she had ever known. The list of titles he brought home almost seemed like a refresher course for pre-college students, much like what someone would read before taking the SAT's or ACT's, all except one; The Theoretical Physics of Magnetic Phenomena. He tried his best to hide the book within the stack, but Artemis saw it, but pretended not to notice. There was more to him than he was willing to share, at least right now. She would file that thought away for a later discussion.

Finally they made it back home and Wally unloaded the mini-library he brought with him. It was late afternoon and the sun was just barely beginning to point in the direction of dusk.

"Do you feel like a ride?" she asked

"Sure," he playfully grinned, "What do you have in mind?"

"Sometimes the city can get a little overwhelming, let's get out to the country for a while. You haven't seen anything until you've seen the sunset out there."

Wally smiled. "Sounds great," until he saw what he'd be riding. Artemis tossed him a helmet and Wally cradled it in his arms staring alternately from it to her as she straddled the bike. "Uh I guess it's wishful thinking that you might own a car?"

"Wally no one owns a car in the city, come on hop on, I'll go slow."

He got on the back, and she took his arms and wrapped them around her waist. She flipped the ignition and they were on their way. Even through her jacket she could still feel his warmth, and the way he held on wasn't out of fear, it was something else, she was sure of it.

As the city vanished behind them, Artemis finally had time to think, and she knew she was in over her head. She wasn't a scientist, she wasn't a detective, she wasn't even sure she was a hero to be honest. There were people who needed to know what was happening, people who had suffered like she had. The archer knew there was a chance this wasn't...that he wasn't real, but so many things pointed to him being hers, to the point that she almost didn't want to know the answer, not if it meant losing him again, never feeling the arms that held her tight right now.

She realized as soon as she made the call, there were would be droves of people coming for them, tests, inquiries, a list of things that would separate them and keep them apart. It had been so long since the tender part of Artemis, the part that could still feel something, had been allowed out. She became deaf to the warning screams of Tigress echoing inside her. Other people would have to get involved soon, but not now, she was selfish that way, and right now as his head rested gently on her back, she felt she deserved it.

The roads were long and winding, the hills and mountain in the distance a lush green. Wally was amazed that an area like this could exist so near the concrete jungle of Gotham City; it was like jumping through the looking glass he thought. They finally reached their destination when she parked the bike and stood off looking at the sunset, while 12 foot wrought iron fences stood behind them.

"What do you think?"

"It's gorgeous," he smiled as she realized he wasn't even looking at the sunset, but at her. She turned to look at him, and he embarrassingly averted his gaze to the hill side.

"This is like a completely other world out here."

"Yeah," she said. "I like to ride out here when I need to clear my head."

She turned around on purpose hoping the speedster would do the same and glanced up the hill to the palatial mansion that rested at the top of it.

"How would you like to live in that place?" Artemis asked.

Wally started at the mansion, examining it from all angles, but never recognizing it.

"I couldn't even begin to imagine," he chuckled. "But…..

"But?"...Artemis added, hoping something had clicked

"It looks kinda lonely," he said, and despite not recognizing or remembering Wayne Manor, the home of his best friend and a place he practically grew up in, his impression was pretty much on target.

She had been hopeful this would have been the moment when he began to put the pieces together, but it wasn't going to happen, not without help. The temperature began to drop outside the city as they passed the tall gates adorned with the giant W and headed back to Gotham, but she didn't feel the chill at all, just him.

Artemis had three pizza ordered by the time they pulled back within the Gotham City limits. When they arrived back at her apartment, the pizza delivery man was irritatingly waiting on her stoop. They grabbed paper plates and sodas from the kitchen and sat outside on the steps enjoying the spring night.

A pizza and a half later and Wally was finally full. A belch escaped his mouth and he apologized. "I didn't realize I was so hungry, thanks for dinner Artemis." A slightly sad expression appeared on his face. "Thanks for everything," he said, and she thought she might have detected a small crack in his voice.

"You've been incredibly generous sharing your apartment, feeding me, helping me out, especially after I basically stalked you, but I really can't impose on you much longer. If I have family out there I probably should find them and let you get back to your life."

Artemis felt her stomach drop. She had completely ignored the other aspects that his arrival had impacted, the holes that still existed within him. She kept herself in check, denying the pain a place to roost inside her, but couldn't calm the slight panic of the thought of watching Wally West step out of her life again.

"Is that what you want?" want she whispered, her voice shaking slightly under the stain.

Wally immediately recognized the hurt he had inadvertently caused, the ungratefulness his thoughtless comments had made to someone who had been so generous, so...loving.

He quickly shook that last word out of his head. This was a friend, a good friend evidently, and he would not take advantage of someone who had basically stopped her life for him.

"No, I just feel like I'm….taking advantage of you somehow."

"Wally you're not and you're not going anywhere. I told you we would do this together. We haven't even started yet. You are welcome on my couch as long as you need it, I'm serious. I've got some time off and I'd like to spend it helping you ok? If you really want to repay me then you could start by realizing that I won't take no for an answer."

Wally studied the blonde's words, and gave her the most genuine, heartfelt smile she'd seen in years. "I'd like that Artemis."

It took all her strength to keep her eyes form watering. No matter the strength of the cold steel heart of Tigress protecting her, Wally West always had that power to sneak past it. He was that fast.

"Besides you really don't have any other place to go now do you?"

"Good point," he chuckled.

"Good it's decided then. Now do me a favor, quit saying you're sorry, quit thanking me, and help me wash some dishes? After the sun goes down, maybe you can show me this speed thing you keep bragging about," she smirked, maybe a tad bit more flirty than she intended. She'd need to reel that back in, but old habits die hard, especially with him.

He knew instantly she was teasing him, and she could tell it made him happy. He looked over at her with a thankful smile. "We must have been pretty good friends huh? For you to go to this much trouble for someone you haven't seen in a while."

"Yeah we were," she spoke in a loving tone "and I'd like to be again."

xxx

Dick Grayson shut down his computer, stood from his desk and looked out his office window, focusing on the cityscape of Bludhaven. It was time to patrol, time to punish those that would dare to defile the city he swore to protect. Sometimes people just had to learn the hard way, and he didn't mind being the instructor.

Jenna Mullins had been the latest conquest he'd slept with recently, and she promised a repeat performance no matter the hour whenever he wanted. He intended to make her honor that offer tonight. The evening was shaping up to be an extremely fulfilling night he thought.

He triggered the private elevator in his office that would take him down into the hidden inner sanctum within the bowels of the building, where he would change, arm himself, and hit the streets. When the elevator door opened underneath the skyscraper of Wayne Tech, he was greeted by a guest.

"Bypassed the security encryption again I see. You're good."

"I learned from the best," Tim Drake proudly answered.

Dick ignored the compliment and began to strip out of his Armani suit in favor of cold dark Kevlar.

"So are we going to talk about it?' Drake asked.

Dick's shrug was his only reply.

"So Cobblepot huh?"

"What about him?" Grayson asked barely caring

"You put him in Intensive Care over at St. Thomas Dick!"

"He pulled on me."

"Dick the man is 64 years old; you didn't have to do that. He wasn't a threat."

"Did you come here for something? I'm busy," Nightwing coldly replied

Robin was beyond exasperated at this point. "Yeah ass I came to check on you. You never return calls, you haven't spoken to Bruce outside of work in almost four months, and unless I come to Bludhaven we never speak either."

Dick was tired of the third degree. "If you haven't noticed I have a company to run and a city to protect. I don't have a lot of free time."

"Well that sounds eerily familiar. I know what you have on your plate Dick, but we're family. You always told me you never wanted to be Bruce, well guess what?... you are him, maybe even a tad darker.

"Tim go home," Grayson said annoyed

"No jackass I won't, not until we actually talk. I can see where you're headed, you and I both watched Bruce do this to us and we swore to each other we wouldn't follow."

"What do you want me to say Tim? That maybe Bruce was right all along? That this is the only way? Who the hell knows anymore."

"We're not like him Dick, stop pretending. We both know what drives him; you don't have to be like that...like him. Deep down you and I know what this really about, stop it now before you forget who you are too."

"I've got to go. I'll be in Gotham in a few days, we'll hook up, go patrolling or something.

"How about we take off theses stupid masks and do something like normal people do, like you and he used to."

Dick ignored the comment and locked his belt and secured his mask. He straddled his custom BMW S 1000 RR, and was about to flip the ignition when Tim tried one final time to reach him.

"Wally was my friend too you know. He was like an older brother to me, but the way you are acting, the way you are honoring his memory and who he was,….. he'd be ashamed of you."

"Get the fuck out!" Dick yelled and tore out the camouflaged exit, leaving Tim standing alone in the darkness.