A/N: I don't know if any of you follow me on Tumblr, but I've been in RAGE MODE since 11:00 A.M. on Saturday. No Wally and no Artemis in the Season 2 premiere? Oh no, you do not mess with my ship, my OTP. Anyway, this is my response to that and what I think (hope) is happening with our favorite pair. There's an episode down the line called Bloodlines that supposedly has all of the Flashes in it, so here's hoping something like this happens. Until then, I present you with this:

Flash Forward (see what I did there ;-))

Characters: Wally West, Artemis Crock

Genre: Romance, Drama, Family

Rated: T (for some sexy times!)

Words: 2,761

Summary: When Wally and Artemis graduated high school, they both left the Team to pursue their college careers. Three years later, events occur that require them to don their superhero uniforms again. Set a couple weeks after Happy New Year. SPITFIRE! 3

Flash Forward

When he woke up, he wasn't quite sure what exactly his dream had been about, but he had been running. Most nights though were filled with those kinds of dreams. Sometimes it was just a long dark stretch of road with no end in sight; others were visions of missions past that always made him feel slightly empty when he woke up.

Groaning, he dug his head further into his pillow, groping around with his hand for the warm flesh that he could have sworn had been pressed up against him when he'd fallen asleep. When he didn't find it, he pulled his head out of his pillow and glanced over to his left. The sheets were turned down, but no one was there.

"Hmph," Wally huffed, grabbing the other pillow on the bed and hugging it to his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the stirring in his lower region. On the nights when she stayed over at his apartment, she usually didn't leave in the morning without at least a goodbye kiss (at best a morning romp). He breathed in and moaned at the lingering smell of her shampoo residing in the cotton pillowcase.

"Should I leave you two alone," a voice quipped, and Wally mentally smiled.

Outwardly though, he opened one eye to see his girlfriend, Artemis, fully dressed and standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. She was smirking at him as usual, her grey eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I wouldn't have to seek affection elsewhere if someone I know hadn't left me in bed this morning with quite the situation," Wally told her, looking at her pointedly.

"Oh yeah?" she asked him, sidling closer to the bed. "What situation are we talking about exactly?"

He opened his eyes fully and rolled over on to his back. A tent in the sheets appeared by Wally's lower half, and it wasn't caused by his feet. Artemis gave him an exasperated look, but he just leaned back against the headboard and crossed his arms behind his head.

"What can I say?" he joked, shrugging shamelessly. "It's morning."

She rolled her eyes before inching closer. Her gaze on him made the 'situation' in his boxer shorts considerably worse, but he tried to keep his cool.

"It looks pretty serious," she commented, coming to a halt beside the bed.

"It is," he told her gravely, trying to keep a straight face. "Think you could help a guy out?"

"I'll see what I can do."

She gave him a wicked look before pouncing on the bed and straddling him.Yessssss, he thought victoriously as her hands pinned his above his head. She grinded her hips against his torturously while trailing kisses from his chest, up his neck, and across his jaw. Finally, she pressed her mouth to his and released his hands so that she could cup the back of his head. He wrapped his freed arms around her thighs and hitched her up against him.

Wally happily sighed into her mouth. There was nothing in the world better than being with her, having her in his arms. They had been through thick and thin, and everything in between. There was no one on Earth who knew him better, except maybe Dick. He loved Artemis with every molecule in his body and he knew he would feel that way forever.

He was busy sucking on that spot on her neck that he knew she loved and was about to suggest that they get naked in the fun way when he heard her swear.

"Shit! Is that the time?"

Wally gaped at her as she practically leaped away from him and worked on straightening up her rumpled clothes.

"Wha-Where are you going?" he whined, his body still humming with pent up tension.

"I've got class in 20 minutes," she replied, hurriedly fixing her tousled hair in the mirror. It was still as long as it had been when they were younger, and he had jokingly told her that he would break up with her if she ever cut it. He had spent the night on the couch after that comment.

"Class?" he repeated through a lust-ridden fog. He tried to remember what day it was. Wasn't their university still on winter break?

"Yes, class," she emphasized exasperatedly, turning around to face him. "It's the first day of second semester, remember, Einstein?" His blank look must have answered her question because she scowled at him. Even her scowling was cute. "Why do I even bother?"

"Because you love me," he replied, grinning cheekily.

She rolled her eyes, but the effect was ruined by her smile. It was a genuine smile, not a smirk or a grin, but a beautiful, lovely smile. God, she was gorgeous. "Yeah, I guess that's it," she said, stooping down to give him a lingering kiss on the mouth.

He held her there longer than she had probably anticipated, and eventually she was the one to break away. She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes.

"Love you, beautiful," he whispered to her, still gazing at her.

"Love you, too," she answered back. She placed one last kiss on his lips before pulling back. "I'll see you later," she told him, grabbing her book bag. "Don't forget, we have dinner at your parents' tonight. Iris and Barry will be there, too," she added, and he didn't miss the look she gave him.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that," he said, glancing away from her gaze for a moment to stare down at his sheets. When he thought he had the turmoil in his gaze under control, he looked back up. "Well, great, we'll head over there together after class gets out."

She wasn't fooled though; she never was. Her hand came up to cup his cheek and he leaned into it. "He just wants to see you, Wally," she soothed. "He misses you."

"Did he tell you that?" he asked casually.

"No, Iris did," she admitted. "She calls me from time to time. To check up on you. She misses you, too."

He cleared his throat and Artemis pulled her hand away, probably sensing that she was delving into forbidden waters. She sighed loudly and Wally, feeling guilty for being a jerk, grasped her hand to keep her from walking away. He pressed a kiss to her palm and smiled an apology up at her.

"Have a good first day back," he said softly, letting go of her hand.

"You, too," she replied. She gave him one last look before leaving the room. He heard the front door of his apartment open and then slam shut. Only then did he slump back against his pillows.

The situation between him and his Uncle Barry was…complicated. When they had graduated high school, Wally and Artemis had mutually decided to take a break from the Team to pursue their college degrees. It hadn't been an easy decision for either of them. Wally had felt like he was letting down his uncle (his mentor, his idol, one of the greatest people he knew), and Artemis felt like she was giving up the only dream she'd ever had. But they had both agreed, together, that being superheroes wasn't the only thing they could do with their lives. Wally liked to think that those words Kent Nelson had said to him all those years ago had spurred him on.

Of course, their friends had tried to convince them that they could pursue their degrees without quitting the Team and Wally had almost been on the verge of agreeing with them. And then Artemis got hurt.

The Team had been on a simple recon mission for Batman, but someone had tripped an alarm, and suddenly, they had been surrounded by thugs on all sides. Thugs with really big guns. Wally remembered he had sped over to relieve them of their weapons when he heard her scream. It had been, and was to this day, the most chilling sound he'd ever heard; one that he still heard in his nightmares. He remembered holding her limp form against his, her blood seeping from the wound in her side and staining his black uniform even darker. The next few days that had followed had been some of the most trying in his 21 years as Artemis slipped in and out of consciousness. Finally, on the third day, she had awoken for good, and that was the day they both decided it was time to leave the Team.

Wally and Artemis had struggled to stay in contact with the Team; after all, they weren't just their friends, they were like family. Eventually though, the only one they had any sort of regular contact with was Dick. Wally sighed, dropping his head into his hands. Even things with Dick weren't that great. He would always love him like a brother, but they had grown so distant where they had once been so inseparable.

And then there was Uncle Barry. Things had been…strained between them ever since Wally had hung up his Kid Flash uniform. It wasn't even that Barry was mad or disappointed in him. No, in fact, it was the opposite. Barry wasproud of him for following his heart. His uncle supported his decision to double major in Biology and Chemistry, and had even offered his help whenever Wally needed it. And honestly, all of that just made Wally feel guiltier.

Wally threw off his sheets and planted his feet on the floor. He didn't like to dwell on things. Dinner with the family would come tonight no matter what he did. Right now, he needed to get something to eat and begin his day. His spirits brightened considerably when he thought about what he would make for breakfast, and he happily super speeded into the kitchen.

Once they were both back from a rather boring first day of classes, Wally and Artemis cleaned up (well, got dirty first and then cleaned up in the shower together to conserve water), and then piled into Wally's car. He'd had the car since he was 17. His parents had bought it for his birthday, but it had barely been used during his high school years. Mostly, him and Artemis used it on occasions such as this or when they went to visit her mother in Gotham City. He tried to keep his super speed use down to a minimum, using it only at night to speed over to Artemis' dorm on the Central City University campus. Also, zeta tube teleporting was no longer really an option for them for obvious reasons.

When he pulled into the driveway of his childhood home, he paused for a long moment before taking the key out of the ignition. Artemis arched an eyebrow at him from the passenger seat.

"What're you, nervous?

Wally tried to play it off. "Nah, I was actually hoping we could have a quickie in the car before we went in."

She huffed and slammed the passenger door as she left the car.

"I guess that's a no," he mused. He exited the car and followed Artemis up to the front door, planting a loud, wet kiss on her cheek. She rolled her eyes but laughed, and just like that he was forgiven.

She went to knock on the door, but Wally just turned the doorknob and went in, ignoring Artemis' exclamation of "Wally!"

"Mom, Dad, we're here!" he called through the house.

"Oh, Rudolph, the kids are here," Wally heard his mother say before she came striding out to meet them, his father not far behind her. She immediately wrapped him in a giant hug before pulling back and appraising him.

"Wally, honey, you look thin. Are you eating all right? Have you been getting my care packages?"

Wally sighed and Artemis elbowed him in the ribs. "I've been eating just fine, Mom, believe me. The care packages are great. Thanks."

"Oh, good, and you're welcome," Mary said, before her sights were set on Artemis. "Oh, Artemis, dear, here Rudolph help her with her coat since my son apparently has no manners."

Artemis stifled a laugh as Wally pouted and took off his own winter jacket.

"How are you, Mrs. West?" Artemis asked politely.

"I'm good, dear, thank you," Mary said, leading Artemis away. "Now tell me, how was you first day of classes?"

Wally watched them walk away before turning to his father. "Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry here, yet?" he asked.

His father gave him a knowing look. "They're in the kitchen," Rudolph told him. He put a hand on Wally's shoulder. "They're excited to see you. What's it been, a month? Last time you saw them was Christmas, right?" Wally nodded and Rudolph continued on, "Apparently, they have some big news for us."

Wally's interest was piqued. "What kind of news?"

"They wouldn't say. They wanted to wait for you and Artemis to get here."

They both walked into the kitchen and there were his aunt and uncle. Barry had his arm around Iris and both of them were laughing at something that Artemis had said. The two of them seemed to be in high spirits, so whatever the news was it was obviously good. Maybe Aunt Iris got a promotion, Wally thought. His aunt spied him first and glided over to him.

"Wally, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. He gave her an extra tight hug. Over her shoulder, he locked eyes with Barry. His uncle smiled at him, but he also seemed nervous. Iris pulled away from him, giving Barry the opportunity to come over.

"Hey, Uncle Barry."

"Hey, kid," Barry replied, and the two embraced. They were about the same height now. Wally childishly wished he could bury his face into his uncle's shoulder like he had when he was younger and upset. This man had raised him as surely as his own father had, and the strain on their relationship these last few years had almost been more than Wally could bear. "How are things going?" Barry asked, when they had parted.

"Great! They're going just great," Wally said, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He felt a warm hand slip into his and didn't have to look over his shoulder to know that he'd find Artemis there. "I, uh, hear you and Aunt Iris have some news for us?"

He didn't know why he was so nervous. There didn't seem to be anything to be nervous about. Barry looked so happy and Iris seemed to be positively glowing when Barry put his arm around her.

"Well, we thought we'd wait until we sat down for dinner," Barry started, exchanging a look with his wife. She smiled and nodded at him. "But, now's as good a time as any." He paused for dramatic effect. "We're having a baby!"

Wally had almost no outward reaction, he was too stunned, but it was okay because his mother reacted enough for the both of them.

"Oh, oh my goodness! I should have known! Iris! Barry! How exciting! Congratulations!"

His mother swept both of them into hugs, as did his father, albeit with a little more restraint. Wally, however, stood rooted to the spot and clutched Artemis' hand in a death grip. There was something Barry wasn't telling them. He looked too tense, his smile was just a little bit too strained. Artemis tried to go forward to offer up her well wishes, but was jerked back by Wally's fixed form.

"Wally, wha—?"

"There's something you're not telling us," Wally accused, and everyone in the room stopped to look at him, before looking at Barry.

His uncle sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He's right. You always did know how to read me like a book, kid." He used Wally's old nickname again, and Wally couldn't decide whether it was intentional or not. He felt a sense of foreboding come over him. "Not even Iris knows about this," Barry admitted, looking at his wife apologetically. "But I've made a decision. I can't be selfish when it comes to this baby. Nothing matters to me more than you and our future child," he said, speaking directly to Iris, before addressing the room again. "That's why I've decided to retire as The Flash."

Wally felt his stomach drop, and suddenly the only thing he could feel was Artemis' fingernails digging into his hand.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: So there's definitely going to be a part two to this and who knows, I may continue on with it if I don't like what's happening in the show. Also, for those of you who might be worried about the state of Evolution of Soul Mates, don't be. :-)

Please review! XD