Another chapter for you fine folk. I've been a bit sick lately, so apologies for the delay. Special shout-out to my favorite beta-reader, Starlight! Some more Wally/Jinx bonding! After all, a visit to the capital of the romantic world can't go too badly…right?

Wonder how you sleep

I wonder what you think of me

If I could go back

Would you have ever been with me

I want you to be unused

I want you to remember

I want you to believe in me

I want you on my side

--Matchbox 20

DOWNFALL

Tonight on the six thirty news, we have an exclusive report by contributing writer Iris West-Allen, reporter for the World Daily. Noted delinquent Seymour "See-More" Nangle was caught by an unidentified superhero and hung by his ankles on the flagpole of the police station. The villain was found hog tied, dressed in girl's clothing, with what appeared to be a "wedgie" administered to him. Police at the scene report that all the captured fugitive would say was "It was all too fast. It was just a blur." The young fugitive will be transferred back to Ju Dee Children's correctional facility to finish his sentence. Further details will be reported as it comes in, but it appears the city owes a debt of thanks to this wonderful hero who wishes to remain nameless.

Jinx waited on the swings, watching children play with their parents. Some seemed more concerned with reading the paper than watching their kids, but others were swinging on the monkey bars along side their loved ones. Some of the little hellions were playing together happily, while others were chasing each other around, screaming at the top of their lungs. She wondered what her biological parents had been like. Had they been kind, interesting, hard-working and intelligent? She already knew what sorts her foster parents were. They had tried their best with her. The only problem was their best hadn't been enough. She had not seen them in years and didn't plan on ever seeing them again.

At least she fit in again with the normal world. Her hair was black and she wore glasses to hide her pink eyes. Though meta-humans were common in Jump City, she had rather not have taken the chance and have anyone recognize her. After See-More had been taken in, she had had to lay low for a while. That damned Speedy, he must have done it! He had nearly skewered her a few nights ago; he must have been tracking both of them. She'd have to settle his hash soon enough.

"A present for your thoughts?" a warm voice suddenly asked, jumping her out of her thoughts. She was surprised to see Kid Flash was standing there, holding a beautifully wrapped box for her. She never could see him sneak up on her, most disconcerting. He was in costume, but she doubted he'd ever trust her enough to remove his mask. At least, if he was smart, he shouldn't ever trust her. "You're looking much better."

"Thanks. I'm fine now. I don't get taken down easily," Jinx whispered, furious at how happy she was to see him. She should be plotting on how to compromise his position and get him gift-wrap to Monsieur Mallah in exchange for the right to fire Madam Rouge and take her place.

"I'm glad to hear it. This is for you. You wanted a gift." Kid Flash gently put the package into her hands with a shy smile.

Jinx opened it and was even more surprised to find herself holding a pearl necklace, an expensive one that looked like some had treasured it very much. "Did you swipe this?" she asked, a lot more taken by him after he had taken care of her in her illness. She was starting to see the benefit of a superspeed partner. If he turned to the Dark Side, she'd be head over heels for him in a second. They'd make the perfect team. No bank would be safe from the two of them.

"No. It belonged to my mother. I thought it would look nice on you," Kid Flash said, his voice the slightest bit tinged with sadness. Oh yeah, that little bit of information.

Jinx should been too smart to fall for that guilt trip. But she did. "You don't have to give me this," she said, realizing how much this must mean to him. She wished she had something of her parents, besides questions and a name.

"Take it. Wear it in good behavior," Kid Flash said, hiding the pain in his voice with a laugh. "It's not like I plan to use it anytime soon. It doesn't go with the suit." He forced a laugh that sounded just a tad bitter.

"Why are you hiding behind a tree?" Jinx asked, forcing herself to remain neutral. She was still wondering how her date could be any dweebier?

"I'd rather not get mobbed by kids. There's ten Kid Flash appreciation societies and my attention should be on you," Kid Flash said, giving her a small smile. "I saw how mad you were at the concert. I promise, no more grandstanding. It will just be you and me."

So, he had noticed how upset she was. "So…where are we going on tonight's torture expedition?" Jinx asked, her eyes narrowing. She was not going to fall for his sweet-talk. She would remain firm and in control of the situation. She was no longer living on decongestants. She no longer needed him.

"I had a beautiful night planned. But you are going to have to trust me," Kid Flash said with a grin that was supposed to put her at ease. But it didn't. In fact, it was putting her on edge.

"Trust you? Why?" Jinx said. This was starting to sound very bad and very dangerous to her freedom. She had always made it a point to trust no one, especially people wearing spandex.

Kid Flash laughed and scooped her up, bridal style into his arms, whirling her around for a brief second. "That's why. Hold on!" he said, as the world began to blur around her and the wind began to whip through her ears.

Jinx was moving too fast to even scream or throw up. At this point, either would have been nice!

Wally enjoyed the light frame of his gal in his arms. It made him feel like Sir Lancelot rescuing Guinevere from the pyres. He was really starting to sound like a geek; he wanted to beat himself up now. Well, if Roy was right, Jinx would do it for him, especially if she knew what he had been doing after he had left that little meeting. Well, Aunt Iris had promised to keep his name out of the papers.

Still, the situation was wonderful. Poor Jinx was hanging on to him for dear life, her eyes were closed in terror, she wasn't currently trying to strangle him and there was a definite possibility that he might even get kissed tonight. The night was looking very good.

"You can open your eyes now," Wally said, debating if he could steal a kiss while her eyes were still closed. No, that would definitely go against the rules his uncle had taught him. Besides, she'd have given him the beating of a lifetime and he would have had to let her catch him.

"Where…where are we?" Jinx whispered, sounding dizzy and nauseous. Poor darling wasn't used to hyperspeed…yet. Over the many future dates he had planned, he hoped that would change. Soon, she wouldn't even blink at going at Mach 5.

"We're inside. This is the Musée Marmottan-Monet in Paris, France. It's closed for a holiday but I arranged for us to have it all to ourselves. Don't ask how, but I even got us permission to eat in here, as long as we don't touch the paintings. So, just say Merci…" Wally said, glad he had taken those French lessons and had saved the French Ambassador's daughter from kidnappers. Mimi had been very generous with her thanks and had even kissed his cheek. Of course, from what the tabloids said, she preferred…fairer things as well. That was something he was curious about, but he would keep that to himself.

"Do you know French?" Jinx asked, sounding actually mildly interested. So there were things that still held her interest. "I'm impressed. Maybe you aren't a complete idiot after all."

"Wow, what a compliment. I'm touched. Actually, I'm a big fan of the French way of doing things. French fries, French bread, French toast…" Wally said, imitating the French accent his tutor had insisted he affect, which he had always insisted made him sound like Pepe l'Pieu.

"French kissing?" Jinx asked, her eyes narrow with interest. That was just what Wally wanted to hear.

"Are you…offering?" he asked, hoping he had the breath mints he needed. Onion bread definitely had his downsides. "Because…well…"

"No," Jinx said, evidently enjoying teasing him. Well, it was more civil conversation than he was used to having. She nodded in a certain direction. "You know, spandex…shows everything."

Wally turned red, knowing exactly what she meant. Damn hormones, he had enough issues keeping them under control without her teasing him. He supposed it was an improvement over her trying to kill him. "I made sandwiches. You want one?" he asked. Food would take his mind over other matters.

"Are they laced with personality altering drugs?" Jinx asked, entirely serious. Well, she was a villain, after all. Wally didn't want to think of the stress of attending a villain's dinner, with everything liable to be poisoned. As a Titan, all he had to do was worry about food poisoning from Starfire's…delightfully unusual concoctions. He had finally resorted to eating two pizza pies before ever visiting his friends in Jump.

"If I wanted to capture you, I would have done it already. Remember, I know where you live. I visited you when you were sick and helpless. I'm not going to hurt you." Wally wasn't sure what he had to do to prove himself to her, besides rip off Fort Knox. Which wasn't an option, sadly.

"It's just…why would you be so nice unless you want something from me?" Jinx asked. Wally was even more devoted to her now, because she needed more kindness in her life. She needed to know that people were mostly good and kind and helpful.

"Well, why not? You're beautiful, smart and funny. I'm sure lots of guys want to take you out," Wally said, wondering what she had gone through to make her so suspicious. He had studied criminal psychology with the Bat, but it hadn't covered how to talk to criminals who happened to be your date.

"Yeah, but they always have a reason," Jinx said defensively. "You've been really nice to me and I keep wondering why." Well, See-More had been head over heels for her. Cyborg still talked about her with a sigh. Obviously, she didn't even realize how adored she really was.

"This is strictly a date. I only want your company and a nice time. For you, I went to this amazing deli. Pastrami, salami, cold cuts, rye bread, pickles, club soda, Ragman says it's almost like being back in New York. Only the best for my date," Wally said, giving her another sweet smile.

"Pastrami then," Jinx decided, her cheeks becoming rosy. "And don't skimp on the mustard, I like it spicy," she said, putting a delicate finger on his lips. "Very spicy." She just loved seeing him sweat, didn't she?

"So…do I," he mumbled, wondering where the heck were those breath-mints, when he needed them?

Jinx smirked. "But you are pretty bland, hero boy." Yes. She did.

They sat on the benches, eating in silence. Wally was actually starving from his transatlantic run, it has taken him nearly a half hour to do this and he really needed to recharge. Jinx knew that without rest, he could become very vulnerable. And somehow, that didn't bother him. Sure, any second could be another trap, but he was fast enough to get away from anything she threw at him.

"So, like the paintings?" he asked softly, trying to break the silence. He remembered the pictures of the unicorns in her room and had noticed her incredible sense of color. Of course, he had a lot more to learn about her. He had the upper hand when they were fighting, but he had no super speed way of understanding the female mind. "You know, Monet is my favorite artist. When you look at it closely, it makes no sense. You need to have perspective to understand him." he said as he pointed her over to his favorite picture, Waterlilies. Hint. Hint. HINT!

To his delight, Jinx's face lit up. She obviously loved art and that would be a common ground for them to talk about. "They're amazing," she whispered, for the first time letting her guard down in front of him. "I love his use of color. It's so weird, but it works. It's like he's painting with light."

"Yeah, you're right. I also love the way the water seems unfocused. It's like he's capturing a single moment of time, something transient and alive," Wally said, trying to egg her on. Thank God he had suffered being dragged to art shows by his aunt or he'd never be able to do this.

"Exactly! Art is about expression and seeing things in a new way," Jinx said, completely absorbed in the picture. She looked absolutely beautiful, relaxed and happy. He could get used to this.

"I really like this one too. It's just a haystack, but it seems he sees so much more in it. Do you ever look at normal things that way?" Wally asked, inching closer to Jinx with a plan of eventually taking her hand.

"Sure. Like the curtains by my widow. The way the folds of it catch the light is really pretty and it's constantly changing," Jinx answered, her voice no longer tight with sarcasm.

"Yeah…" Wally said, taking another step towards her. He was almost there; her hand was but a few inches away from her sweet hex-causing palm. All he needed to do was yawn and…

"And touch me again before I give you permission and I'll rearrange your face," Jinx said in that same relaxed tone. "I'm an artist. I can be very creative. I still haven't gotten over the ride here." Wally's face fell. How did she do that? Was she psychic like Raven was as well? He wouldn't put it past her, but that made sneaking up on her much more difficult. "Let's keep looking around though. I like it here."
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After the museum, Wally and Jinx traveled to the countryside and walked along an isolated river, just admiring the trees and flowers and the birds. It was still early evening in Europe and as such, was the perfect time to go strolling. They didn't need to talk; they just enjoyed each other's company. At least, she seemed to be enjoying his company. She hadn't tried to hex or kill him once! The moonlight was perfectly romantic and Wally could have done this all night. Of course, he could have if he didn't have curfew.

"I need to get home soon," Wally finally said, hating to break his perfect date. "We've spent four hours here, you know." Hours he had to admit had flown by like a dream. Anyway, he still had to get her back to the United States like a good boyfriend and finally start that chemistry homework.

"What do you have to do, polish your angel wings, do-gooder boy?" Jinx asked, her pink eyes narrowed. Was she actually sorry to see the date end?

"You don't want to know," Wally responded. There was no way he could make doing chemistry homework sound remotely interesting. An irate phone call from his uncle had convinced him that he had better "keep his nose to the grindstone" if he wanted that new stereo he had been pleading for. Or if he wanted to avoid "being sent off to military school" to "straighten him out." Uncle Barry could never muster the Bat-glare of doom-obedience and Wally's disobedience was to show for it.

"Let me guess. You're taking out some other girl. I wonder who it is. Argent? Sungirl? Raven? Let me know who my competition is," Jinx said, before realizing the compliment she had just given him. "Not that I care."

"Believe me, you have no competition. I'm a good guy; we don't cheat on girls, spit or do anything to tarnish our squeaky clean reputation. It's against our union rules," Wally said, overjoyed that he had been given that small bit of encouragement. "So, will you go out with me again?" he asked, picking some wildflowers in the blink of an eye and presenting them to her.

"Fine, but this time, I get to choose the date," Jinx said, far too quickly, as she took the flowers in a calm and non-threatening way. This couldn't be a good thing for his safety. She was too…nice.

"Say the word and I'm there," Wally promised, wondering how much carnage she was planning.

"And this isn't a place you can do in costume. We're going to a wedding. The family I lived near, the Mittelman's daughter Regina is getting married and I promised myself we'd crash it." Jinx grinned wickedly. She looked beautiful and dangerous. A lethal combination.

"We're crashing a wedding?" Wally was sure this would be much worse. He had crashed parties in his youth and mostly remained on the good side. He supposed he should be happy she wanted to do this with him. It sounded like a pretty nice evening.

"Yes. So wear a suit and tie. I'll bring your hat. And try to behave yourself, do-gooder. The Mittlemans are classy people and I'm not sure you're hip enough for them," Jinx teased, but it was a far more gentle tone than she usually verbally savaged him with. "It will be at the Jump City synagogue. Seven o clock. Do not be late or I will dismember you personally."

"I won't," Wally said, overjoyed that she actually took the initiative to want to see him again. That meant a lot to him. "I'll be there with bells and a tie on."

"Leave the bells at home. If you humiliate me, they will be shoved up your nose," Jinx said, before closing her eyes. "And please get me home as quick as possible if you don't want pastrami all over you."

Next time: The wedding, Wally and Jinx have problems and Wally's friends bring more problems!