Wally woke up from his nap with a startling scream, it was loud enough to fill the cave and that means trouble, most of the time. He jumped up from his bed and ran to the source of the scream, it lead him straight to, Artemis's room. Wally made a split second decision and ran in, what was he supposed to do with a scream like that, knock. He went in and saw the girl doing what he was just a couple minutes ago, sleeping. "Artemis," he said trying to wake her up.

"Dad, I'm sorry," she said. Now her face was stained with tears and that triggered something in Wally. His hands now balled into fist as he walked up to Artemis and sat next to her. He began to move her into his arms and rock her back and forth.

"Artemis, please wake up, he can't hurt you," he whispered into her ear. The tears still streamed down her face faster. She was shaking, Wally wanted so badly to help her. "Beautiful please, follow my voice, he can't hurt you. Nobody on the team will allow him to hurt you, I won't let anything happen." he said now stroking her hair. She began to now wake up but the tears still streaming as she did so. Wally felt so broken at the sight but he thought about the good side, he woke her up from it.

"Wally." she said just above a whisper. He only nodded his head, but refused to take her out of his arms. She didn't want him to either, instead she just laid still and looked anywhere but into his eyes.

"Sportsmaster can't hurt you here, you're safe," he said. He didn't even really know what he had said until he saw the look on her face. I just gave myself away. Wally thought as he still had her in his arms. She now looked into his eyes with fear but confusion once again.

"How did you know?" she said. He only thought about what to say, he mind as well tell her the truth.

"You said 'Dad I'm sorry in your sleep'," he told her. She still had the same look in her eye until she thought more about it. Remember that he just helped you before saying this. She thought before speaking.

"I meant how did you know that he was my dad?" Wally now gulped. He didn't want this question.

"I just found out, the others don't know I promise," he said before looking anywhere but at her. "Before you came back, I didn't really know you and I was stupid." he told her before continuing. "Although I knew it was wrong I went into here without you knowing and that's why I was outside your door. I actually did want to make things better between us though, that wasn't a lie, I'm sorry. Everything I said before still stands, I was an idiot for treating you that way, you kept your secrets for a reason and I should've respected that." The look of fear still stayed on her face but the confusion was gone.

She tilted his chin so he was now looking at her. "Wally, I forgive you." she told him. He smiled incredulously before she spoke again. "Which ones did you read?" she asked. The fear was now present in her voice.

"Uh, both of the July's of 2004, May and April 2008, and last week's, why do you ask?" he said. The look of fear was now gone from her face so she relaxed back and pretended it wasn't there a second ago.

"I was just curious is all," she said before changing the subject.

"Well okay then," Wally said while looking at her small body. Both her eyes were wet with tears as she stared into his emerald ones. He got up to leave but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her.

"Do you mind staying with me?" Artemis asked hopefully. Once he looked into her eyes he could see fright and could tell she was ready to cry.

"Of course I'll stay with you," he said before climbing under the covers with her and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist so she felt secure. "I won't let him do anything to you." He whispered under his breath when he noticed her eyes were closed. "You mean too much to me."

Although he didn't know Artemis could hear it all and just moved a bit closer to him with a small smile on her lips. Maybe things really can get better with us. Artemis thought before drifting off to sleep.