"So it's finally over," Jason said as we were sitting on the ledge of the roof of our apartment building. He was looking out at the city with a strangely serene expression on his face. Legs swinging, he exhaled audibly. "As far as the mob is concerned, I'm dead and so is my mother. And now we're back here, in Happy Harbour, where we're supposed to be." He turned and looked at me, gaze intense. "And it's over."

"Yes," I agreed. "It is."

"What am I supposed to do with my life now?"

I scoffed. "Finish school. Get a life. Get a girlfriend. You've got options."

He nudged me hard and then quickly grabbed my arm, thinking he had almost unbalanced me from where I was sitting. He looked back out into the night.

"Yes. I could do that." A few seconds later, his eyes came back to me. "And what do you mean 'get a life'? I have a life."

"Not really."

"I do. You just never knew about my life. And I don't think you want to know."

"Let me guess. Indulgence, bullying, that sort of thing?"

"Absolutely. You're good at this guessing game."

"No, I'm just good at pegging you."

"Ahaha. True enough." He turned his eyes back to the buildings and the traffic. "So. How are things going with him?"

"Fine. He's smoothing things over with mom and dad and I got to meet his family."

"Meeting parents? Well, that's not good."

"Why not?"

"Moving kind of fast, don't you think?"

I scoffed. "Usually I'd agree with you but apparently my feelings aren't listening."

"Hy. I have a serious question."

"Shoot."

"Exactly how far do you think this relationship is going to go?"

"As far as it can until we stop trying to make things work with each other."

"That's not an answer, Hyacinth."

I swung my legs a few times gently and the bell on my anklet jingled. "Why do you ask?" I responded after several seconds.

"Hyacinth, I realised all over again how important you are to me. I can't sit by and let you get hurt again which is why I fully intend to make things very difficult for him." I smiled minutely, swinging my legs and listening to the jingling of the bell. "I suppose he might get jealous if you keep wearing the anklet I gave you all the time. Fundamentally, there's a huge difference in our gifts and I'm afraid for you that it might represent the differences in our intentions with you. My present has no trace of me on it, it's like I want you to be you and nothing else and help bring you into that but his, it seems more like an assertion of ownership."

"You've been worried about me."

"Overwhelmingly."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "Don't be. I think you're looking into this too deep. In any case, if he's asserting ownership over me, he's also asserting my ownership of him because of the bird on it."

"Once you don't do anything creepy and Hollywood-music-video-like and let him tattoo 'mine' to your ass."

I laughed. "That would be taking it too far. But anyway, I might be in love with him but I'm not stupid and I know I've got you to slap some sense into me if it seems like I'm getting too stupid over him. I know when I'm being hurt and I'm not one to stand for it but I'm also not one to leave at the first sign of trouble without trying to fix it first. I'm not asking you to trust him. I'm asking you to trust me."

"I do trust you."

"To an extent. You still think because I'm young and inexperienced that I'm more likely to fall into these traps. But that's the next thing. I need to make my own mistakes to learn anything. And I know I can't be anyone but me. I tried and I got tired of the effort it took."

"If he can't love you for who you are, you already have someone that does."

"Jason—"

"Wait, calm down, I don't mean to make it seem that I'm dredging up the fact that I love you again. You've already made me see that for you and me, the best thing for us is to be friends that are closer than best friends usually are. What I mean is, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, you punk."

He chuckled. "Look who's talking, princess." He put an arm around my shoulder and puller me closer, turning to kiss my forehead. "Thank you. For everything. I've never said it before, but thanks."

"Not exactly sure what you're thanking me for."

"For not giving up on me. Not completely. For being my friend, my good influence, the sense that made me see what shit I was doing. For being there for my mom when I couldn't. For bailing me out, taking my side, even though you were still angry at me for betraying you on top of abandoning you. I'll admit, though, while I'm happy to no longer be part of that mob, I'm not sure what to do with myself. Like, for real. I mean, I need to channel my talents somehow."

We were silent for a long time, not because I was desperately trying to think of what to say but because I was not sure if I should say what I wanted to. Because what I was going to suggest to him would be difficult. Perhaps he'd wanted to get away from the life entirely. Maybe I was being selfish and wanting him involved with things I was interested in.

I smirked. And who was I kidding. Jason was trouble from start to finish. All that mattered was what kind of trouble specifically. "Why don't you join us?"

"'Scuse me?"

"Join us. You already know my secret so you're already collateral damage if something happens. Why not get more involved? It's exactly your brand of trouble. Secrets to be kept, lives hanging in the balance and certainly a way to use your talents."

"Would they want me?"

"I could persuade them."

"Or try."

"You could babysit HQ while we leave. Be our in-base contact. The brains behind the operation."

"Wouldn't I be usurping someone's position? The idea I got was that there was already people on your team that did that."

"Sure, but you seem to be good at evaluating plans and simplifying them if necessary and possible. What do you say?"

"I don't know if he'd be able to keep up." Robin landed next to me and our eyes turned in his direction. "And hands off my girlfriend."

"You're going to have to learn to share. I'm her important person as well. After all, she is wearing my anklet."

I elbowed Jason in the ribs. "Stop goading him." I turned to Robin. "What's up?"

"We're needed," he responded.

I groaned and Jason removed his arm from around me. "Go do your thing," he said with a small smile. I offered him a smile and got off the wall to go for my bag. Robin came down from the wall and started to walk towards the staircase with me. "Hey, Robin." He stopped in his tracks but I was the only one that turned back towards Jason. "I heard Uncle Ridan didn't threaten you at dinner earlier this month. Remember what I told you. He mightn't threaten you a second time but that's what I'm here for."

"I remember. You'll dismember me, right?"

"And you said you'd take whatever came your way."

I shook my head. They were talking as if people could control what came their way. We started for the staircase and just as soon as I'd retrieved my bag, he took my hand and we ran down the flights of stairs to the bike that was parked and waiting for us.

"He'd probably be a good part of the team."

I turned to Robin. "Do you mean that?"

"Serious. He's got a good brain and I think, if nothing else, he'd do everything in his power and more to keep you safe and happy, even if it means having to save us to do that."

I chuckled. "He doesn't think badly of you guys. Actually, he thinks you're all quite cool. And that Zatanna is the cutest thing he's ever seen."

"He's too much trouble for her."

I scoffed. "Didn't you hear? Girls like trouble. That's why I'm dating you, duh."

"Not everyone's you."

"I know, right. My kind of luck is unique. A certain someone upstairs is really taking good care of me."

He gave me a small smile, kissed my cheek and threw me a helmet. Sure, everything was fantastic but I knew things didn't stay that way. I had a formidable team, a fantastic family and the best friends I could ever ask for. When the time came, I could more than handle it. Growth was a thing that happened during a trial by fire.

"Hold up, sidekick."

"What?"

"I'm driving."

He chuckled. "Kal needs us there on the double."

"Not a problem."

As I lay in my bed, I recalled in my mind the mission and the part that had stuck out to me the most. An RPG had been launched and was headed straight for Superboy and we were worried for him despite him being almost indestructible. Almost, was the keyword. With his half-human DNA, I feared that damage would come to him certainly easier than it came to Superman and I could not help but worry for him.

However, moments and metres before the RPG was to hit him, it detonated prematurely, having seemingly not hit anything. I was still staring, confused when my eyes zeroed in on something. In the shadows, I could swear I saw someone holding a bow. The figure gave a small wave before disappearing. I wanted to try to run after him but when Conner stood and pulled off the remains of his shirt, I remembered the threat was still to be fully dealt with.

It unsettled me. Deep inside, I knew it was Roy. Having not known if he'd intended to keep his presence at the facility an absolute secret, I didn't mention it to the others. I had a feeling that he was on a mission of his own, one that he needed to carry out by himself, for himself. I wished I had gotten the chance to go after him, to ask him what he'd been up to and why he'd made himself so scarce but I knew none of that was going to help me now. I had another especially strong feeling that, whatever he was up to, it would be a long time, maybe even several years before we saw him surface again. And when he did, I hoped I was still in a position to be privy to everything.

Choosing not to dwell, I decided that it was best that I should just be grateful that everyone was safe and well. School had started and there would be no time for unnecessary worrying. I had a duty to do, a mask to wear and a life to maintain.

Merry Christmas, everyone! It was so great journeying through this story with you and I shall miss writing it now that we have come to the end. Love all of you and hope you're great, wherever you are, whatever time it is. God bless you all.