I KNOW, I KNOW! I haven't been on in forEVER! Buuuuuut, I've been grounded. :*(

SOOOOO...

YYAAAAAY TO THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST-

but this isn't your chapter. :( Sorry. I just had some loose ends to tie up.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing (besides, like, 50% of this whole story- but anyways...)

WARNINGS: Sappy and abnoxious. Filler. OOC. :D

The silence was long, anxious, awkward, painful, excruciating, pregnant, long- well, you get the point. It was bad.

Bad, bad.

They were all at Wayne Manor. The place had been fixed-up since the Shadows broke in, and a higher tech security had been added in- especially since Bruce was Batman. Really, when he goes into Daddy-Bat mode... He goes into Daddy-Bat mode.

The parlor was small and warm, unalike the fierce snowstorm that raged outside. Flames in the fireplace crackled slowly and gently with the real pine wood that they licked up, sending warmth and shadows all over the room. The Chinese carpet was firm under Richard's fingers as he rubbed and pulled at it tenderly. Normally, Alfred might berate the boy, but Alfred wasn't there.

In a circle, sitting on the floor in various positions, was Terrence, Artemis, Wally, Richard, and Blaine. The two girls were huddled together under a blanket for warmth, Artemis dressed in a green sweater and skinny jeans, her hair down and falling around her face, being wet with the snow outside. Blaine wore her usual black, all around, except for her lips. Tears were in her eyes, and Artemis had an arm thrown around the slightly younger girl's shoulders. Both girls looked so... tiny and fragile and... worn-out underneath that huge, scratchy quilt.

Terrence was seated in his wheelchair, his face betraying no pain, but his eyes racked with emotion. He, too, had a blanket over his shoulders. The teen also held a mug of steaming cocoa in his cold fingers, his eyes watching the small white marshmallows bob up and down in the dark brown liquid.

Wally was seated on the brick fronting of the fireplace, the flames warming his blue-sweater-clad back, his long red hair falling into tired eyes. The speedster had his arms wrapped around his legs, his chin residing on his knees.

And finally, the youngest of the little group sat in the large, red chair. With a shock, he realized that it was the same chair that he and Blaine had cuddled in so long ago- the same night they found out their 'father's' secret...

"Let's address the elephant, shall we?" Wally joked.

Artemis glared at her boyfriend, Blaine mimicking her actions. "Ginger, this is no time to joke."

Wally's face fell as Dick nodded. "Sorry, Wally, but Blaine's right. We need to be serious about now... This is important."

Artemis shivered, pulling further into the quilt and into Blaine's side. Both blondes grew closer to each other, getting as close as possible.

"Artemis."

Everyone turned to look at Terrence, whose face was dark. "Artemis, you lied to us all-"

"It's not like I could remember ever meeting you guys!" the archer automatically offended.

"Yeah, but you knew that you were part of the Shadows!"

"Alright!" Wally shouted, standing. "Just chill, Terry."

"You're the one that's shouting!"

"You're shouting-"

"SHUT IT!"

Everyone jumped, and four heads swiveled to face the ebony. He stood, his face grim and gaunt- Dick looked older than he ever had before.

"Yes, Artemis lied to us. Yes, her father is Sportsmaster, and yes, her sister is Cheshire." Artemis hunkered down, a single tear dripping from her eye and finding the crevasse between her nose and her cheek. Her face was pale, her soul cold even though her whole body was burning up to the point of sweating. Richard tried to ignore the pain he was causing his friend. "Yes, she used to be an assassin- but that was all in the past-"

"In the past?" Terrence growled, his lips in a snarl. "Her sister almost killed Jason-"

"Yeah," Blaine objected. "Her sister."

"Oh, so you don't care about your brother-"

In an instant, Blaine had her face in Terrence's, both hands on the arms of his wheelchair to lock him in. "Don't. You. Dare even... even... insinuate that I don't care about Jason or any of our family-"

Wally was in between the two in a flash of blue and orange. He placed a hand on Blaine's upper chest, just below her throat, and shoved her away gently. "Blaine, Terrence, both of you. Stop."

Reluctantly- and ever so slowly- the two pulled away.

Dick shivered. He had never, ever seen either Blaine or Terrence that... aggressive towards each other. Never. Terrence had always been just so... overprotective of the young girl. And Dick, too, of course.

Then, Artemis stood. And, for the first time, she spoke completely truthfully.

"I'm sorry."

It was as bland and blank as that.

The silence was terrible, almost as terrible as the earlier silence. Then, Artemis burst into tears.

"I-I am s-s-so, so sorry... But you don't u-understand..." Her face was in her hands now, her shoulders shaking. "Y-You d-don't understand..."

Everyone was quiet, the storm was so loud... A perfect, dramatic setting.

Wally embraced his girlfriend, and she sobbed into his sweater, gripping it forcefully with both fists. The ginger was shocked- scared, even. Artemis never cried. Or at least, not that he knew of.

Dick spoke up. "We do understand, Artemis. Maybe not the 'my-daddy's-an-assassin-working-for-the-League-of-Shadows' kind of understand, but we can all relate to a bad childhood..."

Terrence looked away. He could feel his baby brother's icy glare on his body, racking him to the bone with chills and shivers.

Blaine hugged herself, her stomach churning with the memories that overwhelmed her, warming her body- but not in a good way...

"It's all in the past, now, though." The ebony smirked, his pained, sapphire eyes alight with a slight twang of mischief. "It's all water under the bridge."

Artemis's sobs had reclined to hiccups. She smirked at the Boy Wonder. "R-Really? J-Just like that?"

Blaine hugged the fellow heroine. "We love you, Artemis. More than they would."

Artemis nodded, hugging her back tightly. "Thanks, Spar."

"No prob, Miss."

Wally, grinning, joined the group-hug, but only after Richard teamed up with his 'twin'.

Terrence growled inwardly at the display. She's a traitor...

Dick turned to face his big 'brother'. "Comin' Terry?"

His jaw twitched. "I do like group-hugs..."

Wally beamed. "Then come on!"

Terrence was about to wheel forward, but he relented. She got Jase shot... The little Alfred inside Terrence's head objected. 'Yes, but Master Jason is fine, and Miss Artemis is not her sister. Choose, Master Terrence. The path or forgiveness, which leads to healing, or the path or hatred, which leads to death...'

The squeaking of metal against rubber resounded through the Manor as Terrence joined their hug.

Artemis shivered, a smile on her lips. "Thank you," she hissed, digging her face into Wally's chest. "Thank you..."

Yeah. I rushed it. Crappy, I know, and I apologize for that. :(

NEXT UP:

What YJ does for Christmas. ^^