Chapter Twenty-four
"We forget and call it healing. We forgive everything and everyone but ourselves."
Wally West was exhausted. Back at Titans North's tower, the speedster dragged himself around his room, packing more clothes into the bag he'd brought with him so that he could ferry everything back to Titans Main, until he held the last pair of socks from his top right drawer in his hand.
They were galaxy themed socks that Arley had bought for him when they were fifteen. He'd taken her on a date to a space museum so that she could point out everything wrong with the tour they were taking.
That had been a week before she'd been taken. Everything had been so perfect back then; Wally had been so sure that he'd had everything planned out.
Graduating early, taking on Barry's mantle one day, growing old with Arley; back then it had been all so straightforward and foreshore.
Idiot, Wally thought to himself. He'd allowed himself to be led around by the nose for years and Arley— the girl he thought of when he first woke up and the person who's very smile made his hummingbird heart stop mid-beat —had paid the price for it.
A knock came from the other side of Wally's door; it was heavy and rhythmic.
"Come on in," Wally said flippantly, only to pause when he saw Jinx standing there in his bedroom doorway, arms crossed over her chest, eyes rimmed red.
"Linda," Wally said softly, his heart clenched in his chest. He knew his mistakes didn't end when it came to Arley, he owed Jinx just as much as he owed his Lantern, "Argent said you didn't want to see me, what are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you," Jinx said, stepping into the room. The door hissed shut behind her. "Raven's been keeping me updated."
Wally let out a huff of hot air, a seedling of anger planted itself in his gut. Maybe he didn't love Jinx the way she loved him— the way he loved Arley —but that didn't mean he didn't know her the way she knew him.
That didn't mean he didn't know her like the back of his hand.
"So what, you're here to shove my face in the fact that Arley hates me? It's nothing Superboy hasn't already told me," Wally spit. His eyes narrowed at the memory of the clone.
"What the hell do you think you're still doing here?" Superboy had snarled.
Arley had been in a coma for nearly five whole days at the point and though there was always some kind of constant rotation of Lanterns and others, the only time Wally found himself moving from her side was when he had to use the bathroom.
Barry and Dick were kind enough to bring him food every so often when they would come up so that he wouldn't waste away.
"I told you already, you want me gone make me move," Wally hissed right back at the clone; Superboy was the only one out of her team to make any kind of a fuss about him or Dick or Kaldur visiting Arley.
"And why would I do that myself?" Superboy snapped as he took the seat on the other side of Arley. "She'll kick your ass well enough on her own when she wakes up."
She won't want you, wasn't said this time. She'll hate you, wasn't added on this time around either, though the clone had told Wally and the others that enough since they'd all arrived back at Titans Tower.
Every time it the clone tried to shoo them away it was always that they didn't deserve to be there with her or that that she was like this because of them and maybe he was right, maybe Wally and the others didn't deserve to sit by Arley's bedside but the speedster would be damned if he ever left Arley's side willingly again.
"You don't know that," Wally snapped when the clone grabbed Arley's hand in his. It wasn't an overly romantic kind of touch, the clone didn't run his thumb over Arley's knuckles the Wally himself had been doing the last few days, but the sight of someone Wally knew had feelings for Arley— the clone had made that clear enough —holding her hand made the speedster suddenly run hot enough to spit fire.
"Course I do," the clone said confidently. "You broke her fucking heart. Like hell she'll ever want to breathe the same air as you again."
And he was right. Wally knew he had to be. And yet, he just clutched Arley's hand tighter in his own in hopes Superboy wasn't.
Please, Wally had thought, Please don't leave me.
"That's not why I'm here," Jinx replied. "I-Wally I love you," she said earnestly. Wally felt his eyes shutter shut at the confession.
"Lucky—"
"—I know you don't feel the same, okay? You don't need to remind me!" Jinx said, her tone suddenly harsh, her fingernails were dug into the undersides of her ribs as she took in a deep breath. "I just, I came here to see how you are, Raven told me how the Lantern's doing and I wanted to make sure you're okay."
Wally couldn't help but smile; three years ago he knew Jinx wouldn't have checked in on someone who'd done her dirty. Hell he was sure she wouldn't have checked in on an ally when they needed it.
She'd grown into the hero before him and maybe Wally didn't love Jinx the way he loved— would always love —Arley, but that didn't mean he wasn't proud of her and her growth.
"Thanks Lucky," Wally said lowly.
"It's no problem Wally. So," Jinx asked, her fingers leaving the underside of her ribs and instead twisting themselves in the fabric of her dress, "How are you doing?"
He moved with the socks in his hand to sit at the foot of his bed, he motioned for Jinx to come on over to him and though she hesitated for a moment, the Mistress of Bad Luck sat right next to him. "She hates me."
And she has every right to, Wally thought grimly.
"I'm sure she doesn't," Jinx said immediately, only for Wally to shake his head in argument.
"Dick says she doesn't think we even looked for her, she doesn't think we love her." Wally's thumb stroked the sock in his hands. Wally saw Jinx"s fingers curl around the curve of his beds end, digging into his maroon colored sheets
"She's hurt," Jinx said. "She—" Jinx paused for a second. "—Rayner said she told him that she thought you, Nightwing and Kaldur'ahm were all clones right? She probably had this whole idea on how everything was going to happen and when none of it happened, it probably crushed her." Jinx sniffed. "I get it."
"You do?" Wally got it too, sort of. When she'd been taken Wally had thought he'd already have a ring for Arley by this age; he'd seen them getting married young if only because all he had ever dreamed of calling her was My wife.
"Of course I do Wally," Jinx said obviously, "I had something similar in my head myself."
Wally felt his heart clench in his chest.
"Lucky—"
"—Jinx, Wally," the Mistress of Misfortune snapped sternly, "My name is Jinx. Call me that."
Wally blinked, "Sorry."
"It's fine," Jinx hissed out from behind her teeth. Wally couldn't help but frown at his ex-girlfriend because he knew it wasn't fine. Nothing was fine, not anymore.
Wally's gaze flickered to Jinx when she grabbed his hand in hers, "It's fine Wally and if it's not it will be. You taught me that."
"I did," Wally replied with a hollow smile. He didn't dare say that it had been Arley's mantra before his instead he just squeezed Jinx's hand back in thanks.
Everything would be okay. Arley would be okay; they would be okay because even if they weren't right now, they would be.
Wally tried to swallow the ball in the back of his throat as he focused on the softness of the socks in the hand that wasn't being occupied by Jinx.
Everything will work out, he told himself, It has to.
…
In the middle of the night the day's events swirled in the forefront of Arley's mind as she sat on the edge of Titan Towers roof, her knees pressed to her chest as she marveled at the ring on her finger.
It hadn't flown away. It had deemed her still worthy; it loved her. Her ring was alive and it loved her because she was worthy of love.
Arley, as she watched the push and pull of waves on the beach of Titan Tower, pressed her ring against her chest and hoped that her ring could feel the steady thudding of her heart.
The pieces that made her were still sharp and jagged. Her beating heart still felt as if it were hemorrhaging away at times and the scars on her back still pulled when she thought about her cell for too long, but knowing she had her ring— and her father's and her team and the Corps —all behind her made those jagged shards seem a little less sharp and helped stem the bleeding coming from her wounded heart.
She was far from healed, Arley doubted she would ever be okay again, but every race had a starting line and having her ring back— knowing that even someone who had seen everything she'd gone through and done in return still loved her —that was hers.
Arley shut her eyes and breathed in the sea salt air.
They were a week away from taking down Savage. She was a week away from feeling any semblance of safety again.
The roof door opened and Arley with her fist out spun only to pause when she saw who was standing under the doorway. When she had spun around Arley had expected to see one of her father's or teammates and even if it wasn't them she half expected it to be Wally or Dick or Kaldur trying to talk to her again.
Only it wasn't; it was Starfire. She had baggy pajamas on and two mugs of some kind of steaming liquid in her hands.
"Hey," Arley smiled, lowering her ring.
"Hello," Starfire grinned back, stepping further into the tower's rooftop, "Would it be too much if I asked to join you Arley Gluck? I have bought hot chocolate with me." The Tamerian lifted the mug in her right hand.
"Sure."
A moment later, with her own cup of hot chocolate in her hands, Arley found Starfire next to her, not pressed up against her shoulder the way M'gann would be, but not several inches away though not out of her reach either.
"How does it feel to have your ring back?" Starfire wondered, her elbows on the ledge Arley was sitting on.
"Like I got a piece of myself back," Arley said earnestly, "I never thought—" she cut herself off from telling Starfire that she never thought she'd get her ring back and instead took a scolding sip of the drink in her hands.
Though it burned going down, Arley turned to Starfire; the notes of cinnamon and nutmeg were unmistakable. "This is Alfred's recipe."
"Yes, after years of no one eating anything I cooked Dick took me home to meet his family, Alfred taught me much."
"Yeah Alfred taught me a lot too," Arley nodded as she remembered after Hal had first adopted her. Before she'd gotten her ring Hal, a certified bachelor, had barely been able to cook for himself, instead relying on T.V dinners to feed himself, so when he'd gotten custody of her, once a week for nearly that whole first year they were together, Arley and Hal would go to Gotham and— not spend time solving cases with Bruce, but instead —learn everything they could from the butler who ran Wayne Manor.
It was in Wayne Manor's kitchen Arley had found her love of baking. Alfred had taught her his mother's recipe for chocolate and cashew cookies.
"You know Arley Gluck—"
"—Arley."
"I'm sorry?" Arley couldn't help but smile at the aliens' confused tone.
"Call me Arley, you don't have to call me Arley Gluck, just Arley works fine."
"Of course," the Tamerian nodded. She took another sip of her drink before setting it down and continuing on with what she had meant to say, "When I landed on Earth I was a captive, at the time I hadn't known it but my sister had sold me to become a slave for the Citadel."
"I'm sorry."
"That is not yours to be sorry for, nor is why I'm telling you this, I'm telling you this because I crash landed in Jump City after fighting back. Dick was the first person I met here."
Bitterness overtook the sweet taste of Alfred Pennyworth's hot chocolate recipe.
"I see," Arley muttered, "You're here trying to tell me Dickie and the others—" Wally "—Give a shit."
"Yes," Starfire said, "And perhaps that is selfish—"
"—It is," Arley snapped, her fingers curled tightly around the mug in her hands. "You might have been sold to the Citadel but I was the one locked up in a cell for three fucking years being ripped apart by some lunatic in a piss poor Jason cosplay while the boys played happy motherfucking families!"
Starfire didn't react to Arley's sharp tone the way she almost wished the Tamerian would, instead the taller alien woman blinked at the— not past; no longer former —Lantern.
"You think the boys were happy while you were missing?"
"Like it's hard not to," Arley scoffed, "Fuck I bet they didn't wait a fucking week before helping Hal pack my shit into storage."
"You're wrong." Arley scoffed again; Starfire sighed. "Come with me?"
"To where?"
"Please," Starfire said pleadingly, "Follow me and I'll show you just how wrong you really are."
Arley's eyes narrowed at the Tamerian; Starfire's jaw was set forward and her lips were pressed together, thinning them out.
"You really think you have something to change my mind?" You really think you have something that proves the boys care about me?
"Yes."
Arley had been tortured for years on end, she'd been through some things not even the most creative of horror movie writers could think of and yet she hesitated in stepping closer to Starfire so that the Tamerian could lead the way, because Arley knew if whatever evidence Starfire had wasn't sufficient— didn't prove the boys actually cared —her heart, already wounded and bleeding would take another beating.
And Arley knew she couldn't take another one. Not after the one she'd taken in Yellowstone when she found out it was only Roy being held there.
It would kill her.
"Arley," Starfire pleaded, her right hand outstretched, "Please."
"Fine," Arley said lowly. She didn't take Starfire's hand though, instead Arley opted to hold her mug firmly against her chest, as if it weren't a tiny twice-glazed piece of ceramic but instead a large metal shield she could use to protect herself from the emotional hurt she could already see coming her way.
Starfire didn't respond as she turned, nor did she speak as she led Arley off the roof and down several dozen flights of stairs. Not that Arley minded, the silence allowed her to ready herself from what she was sure was impending let down.
Starfire stopped towards the bottom of Titans Tower; the hallway they were in was like every other hallways in the Tower only when Starfire typed several numbers into the keypad— Arley quickly realized them to be her birthday —and the door opened Arley quickly realized how unlike any other room in Titans Tower this one really was.
There were cardboard boxes everywhere. Three different corkboards, all with red string and her face hanging off of them.
"This is where Dick kept all of the clues he found regarding your whereabouts."
"There's a lot here," Arley walked into the room while Starfire stayed in the doorway.
"Again this is everything Dick found over the years in relation to your disappearance. It used to be organized but after your escape everything was brought up to the conference room in hopes something could lead us to you and then we had you back so there seemed to be no need to put any of it back properly."
Arley didn't respond as she moved forward towards the single desk in the back of the room like a woman possessed; there was a journal bound by a thin leather cord in the middle of the desk.
"There are more in a box somewhere in here," Starfire chimed in. She still hadn't moved from her space in the doorway, "That was just the latest journal Dick was writing in before your escape from the Light."
Arley wanted to read it; she needed to. Gently, Arley picked up the journal and flipped it over so that she could look at the book's leathery backing. Etched into the leather, was the number eight.
This was journal number eight in how many years?
"You should," Starfire said with a nod of the head, as if she knew what was going on in the innermost workings of Arley's mind. "I doubt he would mind. Especially if it brought you closer."
"Maybe," Arley said softly as she looked away from the journal in her hands and to the boxes that surrounded her. Her head was spinning at all the boxes that cluttered the room. She felt as if she'd been dunked underwater once more. "Can-could I be left alone for a bit?"
"Of course," Starfire said automatically, though she didn't move right away, instead the Tamerian put her hand on the wall and smiled softly at Arley. "When I first landed on Earth Dick was the first person I met but you were who I was hoping to find."
"Really?" Starfire let out a low sounding hum.
"I knew the Sol-systems Lanterns were some of the best, I'd heard all about yours and Hal Jordan exploits. When I managed to crash the ship on Earth I hoped you would help me."
"I'm sorry," was Arley's automatic response, though that didn't mean it wasn't her genuine response; Arley was truly sorry that she had let Starfire down in her time of need even if it hadn't been her fault.
"You misunderstand Arley," Starfire said, "I crashed hoping for you but instead found Dick. I could have landed on any other planet-but I didn't."
"Because you were banking on me and the others." Starfire nodded.
"And if I hadn't I wouldn't be where I am today. I love Dick with all my heart but showing you all this, this is my way of thanking you for inadvertently leading me to where I am today."
Arley couldn't help but smile at the alien; She's too good for Dickie, Arley couldn't help but think, She's so sweet.
"Don't sweat it Starfire."
"Have a wonderful night Arley," and with that Starfire turned; the door hissed closed behind her leaving Arley alone, surrounded by years worth of supposed clues.
When Arley could no longer hear the echoes of Starfire's feet pitter-pattering in the hallways, she wasted no time in placing the journal down before she started cracking open the boxes to her right.
There was no dust on the box and the corners of the cardboard were all fraying upwards indicating that it had been opened and closed a hundred or so times but— Arley squeezed her eyes shut as he grabbed that first thick, three pound file from inside the box —she couldn't allow herself to get ahead of herself.
Just because there was no dust didn't mean that the files had been recently used it could also mean that the files were just new.
But, as Arley flipped open the file and saw the notes clipped to the back of manila folders inside and read the date— January twenty-eleven —that thought flew out her head.
The notes were old. The file was old; Dick had looked but— Arley thumbed through the file, her eyes skimming over every name and dead-end lead Dick had taken himself down —just because he had looked for her those first six months, it didn't mean that he looked for her once he got what he wanted.
It didn't mean Wally hadn't moved on as fast as he could run.
It didn't mean that any of them really cared.
Still though, Arley began to read.
…
Kaldur'ahm wasn't quite sure if it was really late or if it was extremely early; the clock read— as Kaldur walked out of the room Dick had allowed him to allocate to hunting down his father Black Manta —that it was closer to four in the morning than three.
Kaldur rubbed his eyes as he walked towards the high speed elevator at the end of the hall, tired but ready to continue his one-man man-hunt in a few hours only to pause when he heard a harsh sounding sniffle coming from behind the door he was passing by. His thin blonde brows knitted themselves together at the sound; Kaldur could have sworn— he knew, in his heart he knew —that there were no bedrooms on the floor, just storage rooms.
Which is why he didn't knock on the door before opening it; if someone was crying in a storage room it meant that they were in trouble and perhaps he wasn't a hero anymore, at least not in the sense he dove head first into burning buildings every other week the way he had when he'd been younger, but Kaldur'ahm didn't think of the water barerers he had in his closet when he opened the door, ready to help.
All he thought about was the person in the other side of the door crying and the need to save tugging at his gut.
Arley. The person on the other side of the store room door crying hard enough to be heard from the hall was Arley.
Kaldur's eyes widened at the sight of his friend, red eyed and puffy-faced, sitting on the ground in the store room, surrounded by journals and open files.
"Kal?" Arley sniffled, she used the back of her hand to wipe the right side of her face, "What-What are you doing here?"
Her voice was soft, confused but soft; the edge Kaldur had constantly heard coming from Arley when she spoke to him and the others was gone.
"I was working on something down the hall, what are you doing here?" Why are you crying wasn't asked but it was on the edge of Kaldur's tongue.
Arley sniffled once more, more tears cascaded down her face. "Starfire brought me down here. Dickie, he looked for me."
Kaldur felt his heart warm.
Dick had told both him and Wally of what had happened between him and Arley in the Towers gym. Wally had been baffled— and completely heartbroken —that Arley didn't believe in them; "How can she think that?" He had asked rawly, face twisted downwards, "How can she think I just gave up on her?"
It was clear what Wally was truly confused about; he didn't get how Arley could doubt his love for her.
"He did, he and Wally and Roy's clone—" Kaldur couldn't help but grimace at the mention of the clone; everything about his best friend was still hard to wrap his mind around, even in the mystifying world he lived in "—They never gave up on you Arley."
"Neither did you," Arley said wetly; she sucked in a deep but shuddering breath of air. "Even after you were sure I was dead."
Kaldur couldn't— didn't —hold back the wince he let out at Arley's wet words.
"I'm sorry," Kaldur said in a gravelly voice, shame bloomed in his chest, "I lost faith in you, I thought after so much time had passed you had to be dead. I shouldn't have, Dick and Wally, they never stopped, they always believed in you-that you were out there."
"You went to my funeral," Arley said. "You, the journal. Wally and Dick they didn't go but you fought to be the one to organize it since the others were off world."
Kaldur nodded; he had. Batman had, on the second anniversary of Arley's disappearance, offered to throw her a proper funeral. Dick had raged at his adoptive father; he'd been furious that the man had been ready to write Arley off as dead and Wally, he refused to even acknowledge the option that she could be, to him there was no other option than her being alive somewhere. They'd both known Arley was alive, he hadn't.
He'd thought the same as so many other League members which is why, while Wally and Dick fought against the whole event, Kaldur had spearheaded it.
At the time he had thought that someone who knew Arley— who was more than just a teacher but rather a friend —should be the one in charge. If only to give her the respect and honor she deserved; she was a good hero, a good person, and an even better friend. She hadn't needed to be— figuratively —laid down to rest like some sad child.
"I—"
"—You didn't give up on me Kal," Arley said in a stern voice, "I read Dickie's journal, you would pass clues onto him and Wally whenever you found something when looking for your father even after you thought I was dead be-because you wanted justice for me."
An unpleasant volt of energy rippled up Kaldur's spine at the mention of his father. Kaldur couldn't help but turn away from Arley at the mention of the man.
He had never even thought of hiding the facts of his life away from Arley because he had never thought she would find out.
For so long he has been so sure she was dead and then when Aquaman had told him she was alive but missing, his father had never even crossed the forefront of his mind, all he had thought about for months was making sure she was okay. And then they'd gotten her back but once more the reality of her wanting to know what had changed in his life had gone out the window when she had woken up because she hadn't wanted to know him or the others.
Her finding out had never seemed real, at least until that very moment.
"Kal?"
"My father is Black Manta, a villian." Kaldur knew Arley already knew that, the fact had to be in Dicks journals and yet, he couldn't help but to say it aloud.
His father was a villain.
"Okay?" Arley's head cocked to the side.
"Does that not matter to you?" Kaldur'ahm wondered, turning back to Arley. "Dick and Wally, even they walked upon glass around me after they found out." Neither boy had pushed him away per say but there had been a newfound awkwardness once the truth had come out— neither Wally or Dick wanted to say the wrong thing around him in his time of crisis —that had led Kaldur to hang up his uniform and find solace on the surface world.
If he could no longer be the boy— the soldier, the hero —he had thought he was, the boy he had grown up believing himself to be, then he would be someone else.
"Kal," Arley said softly, a rumbled laughter in her voice, "Just because your dad is a glorified pirate doesn't mean I'm going to look at you differently, you're my friend, nothing about that changes my perception of you." Her smile twisted, "Besides in case you haven't realized, I really don't get to judge people anymore."
Kaldur felt a smile stretch across his face as he knelt down in front of Arley. Wally and Dick and Roy's clone had all just said it hadn't mattered, that his father being Black Manta changed nothing but it did matter, at least to him. And it did change everything, at least in his mind but something in him warmed at the fact his father being a villian changed nothing in Arley's perception of him.
Kaldur outstretched his arm towards her.
"I'm glad you're back, Arley. I missed you."
She took his hand and pulled. Kaldur fell into Arley the same way a lumbering tree fell against the forest floors; her arms wound around him just as quickly as his wrapped around her.
They hadn't hugged often before she'd been taken but the few times they had felt like this, like live bees were swarming his chest, warmth swarming his body and his bones creaking against the force in which Arley hugged him with because she hugged him— had always hugged him —like she was pouring the entirety of herself into the action.
"I missed you too, Kal."
…
When Dick Grayson had walked into the Teen Titans kitchen in the still early hours of the morning he froze in the doorway with wide and unblinking eyes, air caught in his lungs.
This, he told himself, Is a dream.
Arley and Kaldur were talking. They were laughing. Dick watched as Arley rolled her eyes at Kaldur not like he was something on the bottom of her shoe but the way she always had; the way she used to.
Fondly. She rolled her eyes fondly at Kaldur.
It has to be.
Manhunter's niece M'gann sat at the kitchen island with them while Beast Boy, with a shake of some kind leaned against the countertop smiling wildly as the conversation flowed.
This has got to be a dream.
"Dick," Kaldur said in his usual low sounding voice, he was smiling. "Morning."
Dick Grayson simply blinked at the Atlantean, trying to will himself to wake up only to stay rooted to his spot on the floor as his nails bit further and further into the palms of his hands.
Kaldur stood and both Beast Boy and M'gann moved. M'gann squeezed Arley's shoulder in a comforting way before she and Beast Boy passed Dick on the way out of the kitchenette area of the Tower, leaving him alone with Kaldur and Arley.
Arley who's gaze was locked on the hands clasped in front of herself, Dick watched as she pried her hands away from one another and her fingers curled into her palms.
It was silent for a moment and then Kaldur turned to Arley, he rested a hand on her shoulder. Dick couldn't help the muscle in his cheek from jumping as the pair had a silent conversation.
Dick watched as Arley got up from her stool and for the first time since she'd awoken in the Tower Dick caught her eye. Her gaze, unlike how it had been in the gym, wasn't angry and hate filled; it wasn't red hot in hopes of cutting him down where he stood but instead it was soft.
It was soft and wounded and uncertain. Just like it had been nearly four years ago in the hall when she had begged them to stay.
A balloon of emotion— of hope, of uncertainty, of fear; not of her though of what her looking at him could mean, of losing her again —filled up the cavity in Dicks chest as Arley took a step forward towards him.
"I was wrong Dickie," Arley said lowly. Dicks brows knitted themselves together in confusion. "In the gym, I was wrong. You-last night, Starfire, she showed me your journals."
Dick's brows uncrossed as his face smoothened. His chest couldn't help but warm at the confession of what Starfire had done for him; when he'd been younger he hadn't ever thought he'd find someone to love the way his father had loved his mother but then Starfire had crashed into his life at the right time and suddenly loving someone the way Wally had explained loving Arley— the way he had watched his parents love one another —wasn't such a far fetched idea.
"You read them?" Arley nodded.
"You did look."
"Wally and me, we never stopped Arles." Her eyes were glossy, Kaldur, who stood behind her had a small smile on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know," Arley nodded.
Dick couldn't help himself, he hugged Arley; he'd taken two quick steps in her direction and brought her to him. She hadn't hesitated in hugging him back; her hands gripped at the back of his shirt.
Growing up they had hugged before, perhaps not a lot but when one of them had needed it the other had never hesitated in throwing their arms around the other. Those hugs had never been as tight, as grounding as the one happening in that very moment but Dick supposed it was because they had never needed to be.
"I'm sorry," Dick whispered into Arleys hair, tears began to cling to his lashes, "I'm sorry we didn't find you. You were right, we should have looked better, you were right in front of us and we left you."
Arley shook her head, pulling him tighter against herself; he felt her jaw clench against his shoulder. "I don't care, I never cared that you didn't find me, I just thought you didn't care. That you never did. I thought you guys threw me away."
Dick couldn't help but pull away at Arley's declaration; "Never! Arley you've always been one of my best friends, I could never not care about you. You're family to me, the same way Bruce and Alfred are-the same way my team is."
Arley hugged him again, tighter than she had been; though Dick couldn't help but wheeze as she clung to him he didn't ask her to let go.
Not when she was back. Not when he had finally found his friend; not when his sister was home, and not when he had a lifetime of making up to do.
…
"Hey," Dick touched the tops of Arley's knuckles, snapping her attention back to him, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Arley nodded; "I'm fine." And she was, there wasn't anything wrong with her, and yet she couldn't focus on the stories and anecdotes from over the past few years that Kaldur and Dick had been telling her because it was odd.
Because her head was spinning.
How could she sit in a kitchen with Dick and Kaldur and not take a moment to marvel at the fact that she was sitting alongside her two oldest friends? Friends she thought she'd spend the rest of her life hating.
It was weird. Arley had woken up the day before so sure she was going to die with her heart twisted in knots because the people she loved— Dick and Kaldur; she wasn't quite sure where Wally stood anymore given what Dickie had written in his journals —didn't love her back.
"Arles," Dick said almost disapprovingly; Arley felt her cheeks heat up under his quirked brow.
"I-just—" Arley shifted in her seat, "—It's nothing, really." Neither Dick, nor Kaldur looked like they believed her, thankfully neither of them pressed on when the door opened.
Superboy, with a deep rooted scowl stepped into the Titans Kitchenette area. Though her brows pinched together at the sight of the clones frown, Arley smiled at her teammate.
"Supes!"
"So it is true," Superboy just said as he walked forward.
Arley cocked her head to the side; she couldn't help but not notice how both Dick and Kaldur stiffened as Superboy walked forward, jaw set. She couldn't help but roll her eyes; the ridiculousness of Kyle's claim— Superboy hurting her —ran through her mind.
"No clue what you're actually talking about Supes," Arley replied.
"You've forgiven them!" Superboy snapped, motioning to both Dick and Kaldur, "After everything—"
"—Hey!" Arley cut the clone off, she shrugged her shoulders at Superboys in a very, what-gives kind of expression.
"Of course you don't get it," Superboy scoffed.
"Okay now what the fuck dose that mean?" Arley questioned getting to her feet, her arms crossed over her chest the same way Superboy had his crossed over his own.
Superboy huffed out a deep breath of air, "No I'm serious," Arley snapped, brows once more together, "What the hell dose that mean."
Arley watched as Superboys lips pressed together in a tight thin line before they twisted down.
"You're being a doormat Arley," Superboy snapped, "You don't see it because they're them—" he waved towards Dick and Kaldur, both of whom were openly glaring at the clone, "—But you are, I mean do you remember what you were like when you found out that they left you!"
"Like hell we left her!" Dick snapped loudly; he got to his feet. "Wally and I never stopped looking!"
"So that's why I had to carry her out of Cadmus' on my back, is it?" Superboy snapped right back, "Please if you had kept looking she'd be dead."
"Like this is our fault, from what we understand Arley was caught trying to save you," Kaldur chimed in.
Arley watched the clones face twist; she knew Superboy well enough to know that the clone still blamed himself for what had happened all those years ago even though it wasn't his fault.
He'd been programmed.
"Stop it," Arley said firmly, she looked at Superboy, "Outside, now, we should talk."
"Yeah." And though the clone didn't look back as he spun around, walking right back out of the room, Arley did. Looking back at both Kaldur and Dick she flashed them supportive smiles before the door closed behind her, shielding their very clearly worried faces from her.
Once Arley and Superboy were alone in the hallway, on the other side of the door from Kaldur and Dick Arley crossed her arms over her chest.
"They're my boys Superboy, you know that."
"They were," the clone stressed, his arms no longer across his chest but instead limply at his sides, "Arley they left you."
Automatically Arley shook her head, "No they didn't. Dickie and—" Arley paused, she blinked and though she wasn't sure she could have sworn she saw Superboys eyes darken for the slightest of seconds, "—The boys looked for me, Supes. Dickies last lead was from three weeks before our breakout. Kaldur thought he was looking for a body but he never stopped and Roy's clone, he found me! More than once!"
"They broke your heart Arley!" Superboy snapped, he stepped closer to Arley, his hands ran through his hair. His fingers pulled at his black curls. "You cried over them how many times?"
"Why dose that matter?" Arley cried, "I was wrong, they care!" She had only ever cried because she thought they hadn't cared; she had been so sure Sportsmaster— her own, life long inner demons had been —was right.
"Because I care! Damnit Arley!" And then he grabbed her. Like some sort of old tomy Hollywood actor, Superboy grabbed Arley by her shoulders and brought her forward until their lips met.
Though Arley's eyes instinctively fluttered closed her mind raced as Superboy gripped her shoulders.
Whatthefuckwhatthefuck.
What the fuck.
"What the fuck."
Arley jerked away from Superboy, her back hitting the wall behind her as she tripped over her own feet. Wide eyed she turned to see who had spoken on the other side of the hallways only for the blood rushing in her ears to freeze.
Because on the other side of the hallway was Wallace Rudolph West, pale white and absolutely crushed looking.
Notes: Sorry I've been MIA, my life has been a major mess at the moment but! The chapter's done, and THREE MORE CHAPTERS, I HAVE THEM OUTLINED! THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU GUYS THINK WILL HAPPEN!
Anyway the chapter is neigh, let me know what you thought!
Anyway, until next time!