No excuse... I am sorry it took so long. this story has been on my mind so often but i was embarrassed to continue it. The biggest reason perhaps for this long delay was because of the shows cancellation :( it took me a while to get over the fact that we may never know the fate of our beloved speedster. so without further delay... the final chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own young justice or any of it's characters

Artemis stood in a square room with no windows or doors. The walls were grey and the only light was coming from a single light bulb hanging above her head that would periodically flicker as if it were dying. There was no sound in the room, no movement in the air, and the atmosphere was oppressing making it hard for her to even stand.

Artemis began to walk towards one wall with an arm out stretched ready to touch it, however she soon realized the wall was still the same distance away; every step she'd take would leave her in the same spot she began in. She tried to reach out towards the other walls but to no avail, each one was just out of her reach. A low malevolent voice spoke, seeming to come from all directions, "Why are you fighting Artemis? Would it not be easier to just let the darkness over take you and sleep?"

"I'm tired of being in the dark" Artemis spoke in a hushed tone looking at the floor almost as if speaking any louder would shatter the fragile world around her

"Why do you reject darkness like the light rejects you? You were born in the shadows, what could there possibly be for you on the other side?" the voice questioned again, the room temperature dropping with every word it spoke

"I don't know exactly but there is something for me there, but if I were to call it anything I would call it hope" the archer answered the voice, this time bring her head up and speaking louder

"Hope?" the voice mocked in fake humor "What would a person such as you know about hope. You were born to kill there is nothing for you but death and destruction"

"No you're wrong; I can do more than kill!" she yelled but the voice's only response was a deep laughter

The laughter grew louder and louder causing Artemis to block her ears with her hands and crouch to the floor. The room around her started to spin until she was left in nothing but a dark abyss, alone with no other sounds or senses but her own thoughts which were desperately trying to convince an unseen force to let her go

"Why are you hiding?" a young girls voice breaks through the depressing silence

"What?" Artemis replies as she looked up from her crouching position to see a young blonde girl who could be no older than 8 or 9. She wore worn oversized coveralls with a white under shirt and old sneakers. Her hair was in a small pony tail and in her hands was a beat up teddy bear. This little girl glowed with an unearthly light in the over whelming darkness surrounding the distraught archer.

"Why are you hiding?" the young girl repeated tilting her head slightly as if looking at an interesting puzzle

"I'm not hiding, I'm trapped here in the dark with no way out" Artemis said defensively getting on her knees to look at the girl better

"You're not trapped you're just not trying" the young girl said taking a step back and smirking at the older girls reaction

"What?" Artemis yelled jumping to her feet in anger at what the child had just said "What do you think I've been doing this whole time?"

"I don't know what have you been doing this whole time?" the girl asked with a now serious face.

Artemis could no longer take the girl's presences. She was insulting the archer's pride by insinuating that she has done nothing to help herself. Out of a fit of anger, She grabbed the child's shoulders and yelled "you don't understand anything, I'm trying to leave this place but I have no idea how". The young girl stood unshaken by the blonde's recent outburst, she simply held sympathetic eyes.

The anger quickly evaporated from the archer as she spoke calmer "I don't want to be alone again" a moment of hesitation "I'm afraid of being lost". Artemis had her head cast down as she spoke these words not willing to say them to anyones face not even, as she just realized, a younger version of herself.

Artemis heard a soft giggle from her younger self that quickly turned into a loud laughter. In surprise the archer looked up to see a bright light emanating from the girl "why do you think you will end up alone?" the young girl stated in between laughter "you have so many people who care about you". As these words were spoken the light that was shining out from the girl completely engulfed the darkness; displays and flashes of memories floated through the air. Artemis recognized these memories as her own.

"They are my team mates aren't they" Artemis spoke as images of her friends appeared before them "these are my real memories, these are the people I truly care about"

"Yes, they are" the child spoke as she began to fade away "now the real question is what will you do now with the information you possess"

Artemis understood what the young girl meant. She had done some terrible things while under her father's influence and was afraid to face the consequences. Deep down she knew that her friends and the league would hold nothing against her but how could she face them again.

As she was pondering her actions and what they meant the image of her father formed in front of her. Startled Artemis stepped back fear rising in her stomach "baby girl, do you really think you can go back? After everything you did?" her father stated chuckling to himself "just close your eyes, if you're lucky maybe you can see your mother again"

At the thought of her mother, Artemis became calmer wishing at that moment to be with her mom. Her eyes became heavy and her thoughts clouded…

"Artemis!... please come back"

"Dick?" Artemis questioned

"Come on Artemis please I can't lose you now!"

"Wally? Where are you guys?" the young archer questioned as her head began to clear.

"Ignore them baby girl" her father stated as he stepped forward to grab her, but Artemis backed away.

"I'm not your baby girl, they are my real family not you" Artemis state defiantly to her father's image. As she was speaking apparitions of her friends appeared behind her; Artemis looked back and smiled "and it's time I went back to them".

The room was cool and calm, soft noise from the medical equipment filled the room. Artemis opened her eyes to see white washed walls and the bright lights of the infirmary room of Mount Justice shining upon her. She looked around again and noticed the almost comical positions her team mates where sleeping in scattered across the floor.

Aqualad laid closest to the door sitting asleep cross legged with his hands in his lap and head down. If anyone were to think otherwise they would simply assume he was meditating.

Not far from the dark skinned hero was the team's resident sorceress. Zatanna it seems conjured up a pillow to rest her head on a small couch that lays no more than 6 feet from the bed Artemis was currently residing in. She found it odd how her friend could sleep with one foot hosted up against the wall while the other hung unceremoniously of the edge.

To the young archer's great relief and joy she noticed that beast boy was now resting his head in M'egan's lap. It occurred to Artemis that her team was able to break the shadows hold over the young boy. Artemis had to stifle a giggle when she noticed the still brooding face of superboy, no doughtily brought upon by his inability to cuddle with his girlfriend when the green boy is currently hogging her.

Lastly Artemis noticed that on either side of her were Robin and Kid Flash, both occupying the only two chairs in the room next to her bed. The two had their heads resting on her lap, hands out stretched to hold her own. Normally Artemis would quickly move her hand away from theirs out of embarrassment, but today she was truly relieved to have them there to confirm this was not some dream.

Not wanting to wake her friends yet, Artemis sat there enjoying the reality of finally being free from the shadows and her father's grip. While, for all she knew, they could still posse a very real threat to her, Artemis now took comfort in the fact that she knows beyond all doubt that she belongs with her team, her family.

Robin has always been a light sleeper so it was only natural that it did not take him long to wake up after the archer. He first began to stir when he notice Artemis' hand was no longer in his own. In a panic he bolted straight up ready to fight anyone who would attempt to take her again. His eyes quickly scanned the room but stopped when he noticed a pair of grey ones staring right back at his.

"Artemis he whispered" almost afraid that any loud noise would send his friend, his sister, into unconsciousness again.

"Better be careful there Robin if you start crying the team will never let you live it down" Artemis said as she went to hold his hand. In truth she would not be able to stop herself from joining him if he began to cry.

"Artemis I'm so glad you're ok" Robin said as he jumped to give her a big hug but let go as soon as she let lose a hiss from the pain. "I'm so sorry Artemis I didn't mean for that to hurt, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, well I think I will be any way" the young archer responded after noticing the boy wonder's worried face. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Robin's face dropped for a moment then he looked Artemis straight in the eyes and began his explanation "After fighting though the henchmen the league was able to find and rescue the abducted kids. It was only after our fight finished with Sportsmaster and Hot Spot that Zatanna found you"

Artemis quickly interrupted him at the mention of her biological father "did the league capture them?" she asked hopefully. Robin's only response was to sadly shake his head.

"No, while we were rushing to get to you they managed to escape" Artemis simply nodded telling him to continue "you were in terrible condition when we arrived. It took all of our power to keep you well enough to make it to the mountain." Robin paused afraid to say his next few words "Artemis your heart stopped for three minutes… you died"

For some reason she was not surprised by this fact, probably it's because of ptsd or that strange dream she had just made more sense to her now. Artemis calmly asked "then how come I'm here now?"

"Batman said that if it was not for your newly acquired power the shadows gave you, you'd be gone forever" Robin stated worried how she would react

"Well I blame them for this whole mess anyway so at least there stupid experiment helped me live… but I've no plans to ever use that power again unless in extreme cases of emergency" Artemis finished gravely getting a bitter taste in her mouth just thinking about what they did to her.

A few seconds passed in comfortable silence when she suddenly remembered Barbra "Oh my god Babs! Robin, where's Babs?" Artemis yelled frantically.

"She's alright, Artemis, She's in the room next door with her father" Robin said as he tried to push the archer back so she would not hurt herself.

"Wait? Gordon is here?" she asked with a skeptical face "I'm surprised the league allowed it"

"Well it's under the condition he does not leave the room without an escort but he readily agreed to it" the boy wonder explained remembering how excited he was to hear his little girl was safe again. "and don't worry Babs is already up and around they are thinking of letting her return home soon"

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't know what…" Artemis was interrupted by a shout of joy coming from the red head beside her.

"Artemis you're awake!" awoken from the recent shouts from the archer Wally was quickly up and about spinning around the whole room in joy and relief "I was so afraid I had lost you"

The energy and shouts quickly caused the rest of the room's occupants to arouse and join in the celebration. Everyone was talking at once toward the poor archer that she had to put her hands up and yell "guys I'm ok but I can't understand all of you at once"

"We are just happy for your recovery" Aqualad stated first in his formal speech unable to hide the joy in his eyes.

"We missed you so much Artemis" Zatanna yelled as she ran to hug the archer. Artemis tried to hold in the grunt of pain so she wouldn't hurt her friend's feelings.

Artemis noticed over her friends shoulder the team's speedster practically vibrating in place. "Wally, are you ok?" Artemis asked confused by his behavior.

Before anyone in the room could turn to look at the speedster he rushed to Artemis' side and placed his hands on her cheeks while moving forward to kiss her. The kiss lasted no more than ten seconds but to the speedster and archer it was an eternity. The room was so quiet a needle being dropped could have been heard. "Artemis…" Wally began "I um… I sorry I should have been there for you this should have never happened. I wanted to rush to your side the second I heard about your mom but I didn't know what to do and then you got kidnapped and I thought I lost you. So I'm not going to waste time in saying I like you, I really like you and I don't care if you hate me for it now but I had to say it" the speedster stated all in a rush causing those around him to stain to understand.

The message, however, was received loud and clear to Artemis who blushed at the suddenness of his confession, not to mention in the presence of all of her friends. "I don't hate you Wally" the archer smirked "and as for the kiss… it's about time"

At this Wally jumped in the air punching an invisible enemy to celebrate as the rest of the room's occupants laughed along, stating 'it's about time those two got together'.

The merriment was cut short as the sound of a voice being cleared could be heard from the doorway. The noise drew everyone's attention to Batman standing a foot within the room. "Team, I understand your excitement over Artemis' recovery but remember that she only just woke up and needs time to completely heal" the Dark Night stated as he approached the bed "I think it's time all of you returned to your own rooms for now, Artemis will be here in the morning"

After several quick good byes the room was soon empty leaving only the archer and the caped crusader alone. Artemis was starting to feel uncomfortable in the silence when the Dark Night began to speak "you had me worried Artemis"

"uh… I'm sorry" Artemis began but was unable to finish her thought

"It is no one's fault but the Shadows and Sportsmaster and we will never let them have you again" Batman said strongly looking toward his daughter "I am… no we are all relived to have you come home" a smile appeared upon the infamous Dark Night a smile that obviously belonged to Bruce Wayne, her new father "just make sure your more careful from now on, Alfred said if this happens again he will physically secure you in your room for your own safety"

Artemis laughed at the thought of the old butler trying to ground here, but then realized that he was probably serious. The archer looked up at her mentor and saw a serious look on his face. Batman knelt down next to her bed "seriously, Artemis, I can't stand to lose another member of my family" at this he gave his daughter a quick hug and with a "good night" he left the room. For the first time in months Artemis fell into a peaceful sleep knowing full well that she was safe at last.

A/N: i want to thank all of you who read my story and reviewed it :) if it was not for those reviews i may have never mustered up the courage to finish this. Feel free to tell me how it all came together in the end and if you like it or not as a whole. Thank you again for your time :)