Young Justice is not mine.

Disordered

"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds."

- Laurell K. Hamilton

ELMOND

Felicity's world was gray.

Ever since the failsafe exercise, the girl just felt numb. There was no other way to describe it. It was like all her emotion's and feelings had left her body, leaving Felicity a hallow shell of the fierce fighter she once was. Her old hobbies and activities- like playing the clarinet or reading- didn't entice or bring her joy anymore, and they hardly proved the be the welcomed distractions from life they once were for her.

She was hurting, her heart acknowledged that much, but her brain had gone into protective mode, so Felicity was left with a feeling of nothingness.

It was her mind's way of coping with the trauma she experienced within the simulation.

Felicity had died, and so did everyone she ever loved and cared about.

The girl rolled over in her bed, tossing a hand over her face to block the sunlight as it streamed in through her window. Another night of tossing and turning had come and gone, and even though she had technically just woken up, Felicity could feel the fatigue settling deep within her bones.

The failsafe mission had been a week ago, and Felicity hadn't had a good night's rest since the night before the simulation. Her dreams- nightmares- were littered with images of her friends and family dying.

It was a constant reminder of her failure to save them.

So most nights since the simulation she just spent laying in bed, listening to the sounds of the city and staring at her ceiling.

Her phone suddenly vibrated, the sound echoing hollowly off her wooden side table. Felicity ignored it.

It was probably just someone from the team looking for her, and she wasn't in the mood to see any of them and face her failures in person. She hadn't been to the cave since the simulation, and she certainly hadn't talked to anyone from the team.

Wally had apparently stopped by to see her once a couple days after the whole ordeal. She wasn't sure how he got her address, but Felicity assumed Robin may have given it to him. Regardless, Don had been the one to open the door, and when he told his sister who was there, she promptly told Don to tell the speedster to leave.

Wally hadn't been back since.

Hank and Don had tried to comfort the girl, but she pulled away from them as well. In fact, the only person she seemed comfortable around lately was their father, Irwin. He had no idea as to what had gotten into his daughter, but when Felicity showed up at his room at two in the morning with tears streaking down her face, he didn't question her.

Irwin just did his best to comfort her, allowing his daughter to lay in bed with him much like she used to do when she was a child, and shortly after they had lost her mother.

Felicity's phone vibrated again, but this time instead of being the short sound of a text, it kept going and going and going. She attempted to tune the noise out, rolling away from her nightstand and throwing the blankets up over her head, but she couldn't drown the sound out.

It just kept vibrating.

Finally, with an agitated groan, Felicity rolled over and grabbed her phone. Without seeing who the caller ID was, she angrily swiped right to activate the phone call, mumbling out an annoyed 'what' into the speaker.

"Batman said to meet at the cave." The voice of Robin spoke. His voice sounded drained and lifeless, lacking the chipper and upbeat tone the boy wonder's voice normally carried.

Heck, he didn't even make a snarky comment about her tone of voice when she picked up.

Felicity blinked, "I-I don't want to." Her voice was quiet, and it quivered at the end.

"We don't have much of a choice," Robin sighed. He could relate to how the girl was feeling, "Look, the sooner you get here, the sooner you can go home again. Okay?"

The girl mulled it over for a few seconds before huffing, "Okay. I'll be there soon."

The call was quickly ended, neither of the two saying goodbye's and Felicity dropped her phone on her bed. She reached up, dragging her hands down her face as she let out an exasperated groan.

The last thing she wanted was to go to the cave for a mission.

Felicity sat up and flung her blanket of her body. Her feet landed with a thud on the floor below, a small shiver running up her legs at the coolness of the wood.

The fatigue she had felt laying in bed had greatly intensified since she sat up, and every fiber of her being was telling her to just lay back down and wallow in sorrow. What was Batman going to do? Show up at her house and drag her out of bed?

…okay, he might.

Felicity stood up and stretched, back cracking and bones aching. As she made her way towards her closet, she paused, catching her reflection in her mirror above her vanity.

Her normally bright brown eyes were dull, devoid of anything as they stared back at her. The bags below her eyes were painfully obvious against her pale skin, and her blonde hair was limp and oily from a lack of showering for a few days.

A ghost of her former self is what she looked like.

Shaking her head and sweeping her hair into a messy bun, Felicity tore open her closet door. She pulled out an oversized sweatshirt, quickly changing into it and tugging on a pair of leggings to match as well. She quickly tugged on a pair of boots before spritzing on some perfume and grabbing her phone and leaving her room.

It was early in the morning, so her father and brothers weren't home, which meant Felicity could leave without being questioned where she was going.

And now she was off to Mount Justice.

MOUNT JUSTICE

Felicity was the last to arrive at the cave, and she could immediately feel the tense atmosphere that lingered throughout the mountain.

Captain Marvel, Red Tornado, and Martian Manhunter were gathered around a trio of screens, each of which showed glimpses of the team. They were moping in the common room, so the girl assumed that was where she was supposed to be as well.

Captain Marvel waved at Felicity as she walked by, a sympathetic smile on his face. She glanced at him but didn't respond. Instead, she stuffed her hands into her sweatshirt pocket, hunching her shoulders and turning away from the three Leaguers. The blonde missed the dejected look on the Leaguer's face as she disappeared down the hallway.

She found the rest of the team gathered in the common area. They were each strewn about the area, spaced apart from each other as if to preserve their own personal bubbles. Gazes fell upon the girl as she entered, and she immediately ducked her head.

Wally opened his mouth to say something, but Felicity had her back turned towards him as she found a space in the corner of the room, as far from the rest of the team as she could possibly be. He tapped his knuckles on the marble countertop before him, shaking his head before propping his chin up on his hand.

Felicity looked up as the speedster turned away from her. She felt a pang of guilt jolt her body for ignoring him, but she couldn't find the energy to say anything. Instead she turned and studied the cave wall, eyes following the cracks within the rocky surface to distract herself.

Robin was the closest to the girl, having seated himself on the green couch in the living room. He was also avoiding eye contact with everyone, as was Kaldur, who had his back pressed up against one of the cave's wall. His seafoam green eyes were distant as he stared blankly at the floor.

Artemis was sat in the dining room as she absentmindedly toyed with the strings of her bow, and M'gann was in the kitchen, over stirring a large bowl of batter. Conner was propped up against one of the kitchen counters, watching his girlfriend with blank eyes.

She still wasn't sure why they were all gathered at the cave, but she had only been there for a few minutes and the girl just wanted to go home and crawl back into bed.

There was a sudden clatter from the kitchen, breaking the pristine silence and causing Felicity to jump. Whirling her head around, her eyes settled on a startled M'gann. The Martian looked on the verge of tears as she stood within the kitchen, eyes wide and full of confusion.

"I-I'm sorry." She spoke, voice wobbly, as everyone gazed at her.

Batter was splattered all over the counter and the front of M'gann, and Felicity assumed it was on the floor as well. Conner appeared at her side almost immediately, and he led the girl away from the mess as Kaldur stepped up.

"It is alright, M'gann." He soothed, but his voice was distant and full of pain. The Atlantean entered the kitchen, Wally beside him, and together the two worked to clean up the batter mess.

"I-I just wanted to m-make cookies." M'gann informed, her shoulders shaking.

Conner curled his arm around her shoulders, tugging the Martian closer to himself as he murmured words Felicity was unable to catch.

The excitement the commotion had caused faded away, the tense silence from earlier returning with full force and blanketing the team. Felicity turned her head and picked at a hangnail.

A few minutes passed, and Black Canary entered the common area. Her calculating blue eyes gazed over the dejected team, eyeing each of them closely. None of them- outside of M'gann and Conner- were interacting with each other, and most were doing their best to avoid eye contact with anyone else.

They may have suffered together in the simulation, but they were suffering in isolation outside of it.

The Leaguer cleared her throat, attention snapping towards her as she spoke softly, "Batman has asked me to provide… therapy sessions for you guys in light of what happened in the simulation last week." So that was why Felicity had been dragged out of bed and to the cave. No one said anything, and Black Canary continued to speak, "Who would like to go first?"

Silence.

Everyone tore their gaze away from the older blonde, and Felicity kicked at the floor beneath her feet. Black Canary knew it might be difficult to get these teens to open up, but she didn't think they would be this bad.

With a soft sigh, Black Canary settled her blue gaze on Conner, who had his back turned to the Leaguer as he rubbed his hand up and down his girlfriend's arm, "Conner? Would you care to go first?"

The clone's hand suddenly stopped, shoulder's tensing. M'gann looked up at him, eyes watery but tears dry, "I-it's okay, Conner. I'll be alright." Felicity watched as Conner clenched his eyes shut.

"Fine." He muttered, standing up and facing Black Canary, "Lets get this over with."

Black Canary smiled at him, but the clone didn't return the expression as he stalked towards her. She gestured to the hallway behind herself, and Conner walked into it, the Leaguer turning and following after him.

Felicity eyed them as the disappeared down the hall before retuning her gaze to her feet.

This was going to be a long day.

Black Canary eyed the blonde that sat before her. After Conner had stormed out of their session, the Leaguer had gone and fetched the next person. No one had volunteered to go- not that she had expected anyone to- so she called on Felicity.

The girl had seemed less than pleased to be chosen, but she didn't put up much of a fight and relented with relative ease before following Black Canary into the waterfall room.

Felicity wouldn't make eye contact with the older blonde. Instead she stared at Black Canary's combat boots, eyes tracing over the laces as they weaved in and out before ending in a neat and tight bow. She was doing whatever she could do distract herself from Black Canary's piercing gaze.

It wasn't that Felicity hadn't had therapy before- she went for a few years after her mother's death- but it took her a while to even open up to her old therapist, and she wasn't sure she felt comfortable talking to Black Canary about her private thoughts and feelings. This was a Justice Leaguer, someone who faced bad guys and death on a daily basis.

Felicity didn't want to seem weak in front of the Leaguer.

"I know how much you must be hurting, Felicity," Black Canary spoke softly. The girl's eyes stayed downcast as she continued to stare at the other blonde's boots, "To witness the deaths of your friends and family, it must've been hard."

"Hard?" Felicity scoffed, speaking for the first time since they entered the room. Her gaze snapped upwards, brown eyes meeting Black Canary's own blue, "That's an understatement."

"Then why don't you tell me about it?" The Leaguer prodded gently, gesturing for Felicity to go on.

Felicity opened her mouth, but then quickly snapped it shut as she shook her head. Black Canary's brows knitted together as she watched the girl hang her head. The Leaguer knew Felicity had lost her mother in a drive-by shooting when she was young, and it hit her hard.

Hard enough that she had tried to commit suicide, which had led to her first bout with a therapist.

Though Felicity had made progress with her past trauma, the simulation could've easily caused the girl to regress.

Black Canary studied the girl as she fidgeted in her chair. She leaned forward, reaching out a gloved hand and placing it on Felicity's knee. The younger blonde flinched at the contact, head snapping upwards and brown eyes wide.

Black Canary offered her a gentle smile, "You can take your time, Felicity, but I'm here to help you."

Felicity wrapped her arms around herself, leaning back in her chair as Black Canary removed her hand. The girl had ducked her head once more, eyes staring at the floor as her mind ran in circles.

She could tell Black Canary wasn't the type to give up, which meant that Felicity really only had two options: she could either storm out of the room in protest like Conner had, or she could just start talking.

Felicity didn't think she had the same gall as Conner had as to walk out on a Justice Leaguer like that.

So it looked like the latter was her only option.

"It's- the whole thing is my fault," The girl began slowly, still avoiding the curious eyes of Black Canary. Her voice was quiet and hesitant as she voiced the thoughts that had been tormenting her since the dreaded simulation. Her mouth opened and closed a few more times, but her voice didn't want to speak anymore, so she let her words settle over herself and the Leaguer.

Black Canary arched a thin brow and leaned forward to address Felicity, "Why do you feel that way?"

"I froze and… and Artemis died because of that." Felicity glanced up at Black Canary, brown eyes full of guilt and pain as she fumbled with her next words, "Her death is what sent the whole thing spiraling out of control and if I hadn't just… just…"

"Acted like a normal human?" The Leaguer finished when Felicity trailed off. The girl's nose crinkled in annoyance before her brows furrowed in anger.

"My fear cost Artemis her life."

"Felicity," Black Canary spoke softly, "Fearing death is perfectly normal."

"I- I'm a superhero." Felicity shook her head, fingers clenching and digging into her biceps, "I face death on the regular; I don't fear it." She spoke the last sentence more to herself than anyone, but the blonde doubted her own words.

"Maybe consciously you don't, but your subconscious does, and that's normal."

The young girl's frown deepened as she shifted her gaze from Black Canary to her boots, "Even if I do subconsciously fear death, that's no excuse for allowing Artemis to sacrifice herself for me."

"Is that why you sacrificed yourself to save Aqualad?" Black Canary clasped her fingers together and leaned back in her chair, watching as Felicity fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment.

"Yes. I had to make amends." The blonde admitted shakily, "If- if I didn't sacrifice myself, Aqualad was going to die. We-they-needed him more than me."

"This isn't the first time you've sacrificed yourself for Aqualad." Black Canary commented lightly.

Felicity shrugged nonchalantly, eyes focusing in on a loose string hanging from her hoodie. She knew the Leaguer was referring to the team's mission against the Injustice League- the one where Felicity had donned the Helmet of Fate instead of Aqualad in order to save him.

Silence settled over the duo as the blonde found herself at a loss of words. She wasn't sure what more she could say to Black Canary's comment. Obviously, it was true; the simulation was not the first time she had sacrificed herself for their Atlantean leader.

Black Canary shifted as the younger blonde before her remained silent, blue eyes wrought with concern. Felicity pulled her legs up to her chest, the tips of her toes hanging over the edge of the worn green seat as she placed her chin on top of her knees. The Leaguer was still eyeing the girl, but Felicity made no move to speak as she casted her eyes downwards.

A million and one thoughts ran rampant through her mind, but Felicity found herself unable to properly form words to voice her thoughts, and so she sat there in painful silence. There was a familiar sting at the corners of her eyes as tears began to well up once more, but she refused to let them spill. Felicity buried her face into her legs, knees pressed gently into her eyes and pushing back the waterworks.

"Wanting to save your leader and teammates is admirable, Felicity, as protecting them is important, but your life is also important." Black Canary's soft voice finally broke the silence, "You have family and friends that care greatly about you."

"I just get people killed."

Felicity's voice was so muffled and quiet that Black Canary wasn't quite sure if the girl had actually spoken, but as soon as the Leaguer had digested her words, a pang jolted her heart.

"That's not true, you-"

Felicity's head shot up at Black Canary's dispute, tears now freely flowing down her cheek, "It is!" She all but shouted, and the Leaguer reeled back at the sudden outburst, "I got Artemis killed, I've nearly gotten my brothers killed, Wally, Casey, and… and… and…" Felicity's shoulders suddenly sagged, the fight leaving her body and her head drooped, voice barely above a whisper, "and my mom."

Black Canary's mouth gaped slightly as the teen before her sucked in a shaky breath. The Leaguer found herself at a loss for words, and her forehead creased with concern and sadness. Felicity's revelation was a dark one, but it gave her a glimpse into the mentality the younger blonde had in regards to herself.

Felicity blamed herself for her mother's death, and she'd do anything to protect those closest to her.

Even if that meant sacrificing herself.

"Felicity," Black Canary's voice was soft but firm, hoping to get through to the girl while still remaining compassionate, "What happened to your mother was not your fault."

"She died protecting me." Felicity argued, "And-"

"And that means you have all the more to live for." Black Canary was quick to shoot back, interrupting the girl and causing her to clamp her mouth shut. Felicity's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before she snapped her gaze to the ground, hands clenching into fists as her body shuddered, "You can't let your mother's sacrifice be in vain, Felicity. I know losing a parent isn't easy, but just remember how much she loved you. Your life is worth living."

Felicity lifted her head up, slightly caught off-guard by Black Canary's words, and the familiarity of them. Suddenly an image of Kent Nelson raced through her mind.

'Remember, kid, your life is worth living.'

A lone tear streaked down the younger blonde's cheek, "I-it's hard to t-think that way when s-she's not h-here." Felicity choked out.

The Leaguer's chest tightened, "She is here, Felicity." She remarked softly, "Your mother will always live on within you. You just need to remember that, okay?"

Felicity sucked in a shaky breath, "Okay."

"Good," Black Canary nodded and extended her hand, offering the younger girl a few tissues. Felicity accepted them before blowing her nose and wiping her tears. Her eyes were red rimmed and slightly sore from crying, but overall, she felt better.

It was just a matter of how long was she going to feel better for?

Felicity exited the waterfall room with a heavy sigh. Black Canary placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze and offering her a reassuring smile before the two went their separate ways.

The Leaguer made her way down the hall and towards the rest of the team, whilst Felicity wandered off in the opposite direction. Her heart and mind both felt better after her chat with Black Canary, but the girl still didn't feel prepared enough to go back and face the rest of her team. There were a few things she still needed to work out on her own, so she exited the mountain (with full permission from Batman of course).

The sky was a bright mixture of reds and oranges as the sun began to set, as late afternoon was upon the east coast. Fall had taken hold of nature weeks ago, and most of the trees surrounding the mountain had long lost their leaves, and the ground was covered in a fine layer of discarded leaf litter. A few trees did their best to hold onto their leaves, but the green had long since faded, giving rise to brilliant reds and yellows.

Felicity admired the world around her, inhaling a deep breath and relaxing at the soothing smell of fall and ocean water. She stuffed her hands into her sweatshirt pockets and trekked forward, the leaves beneath her feet crunching with each step.

After a short walk she found herself on the beach, where ocean waves were lazily lapping at the shoreline. Felicity approached the water, stopping just shy of the waves as to avoid her boots getting wet. There she let her mind wander, losing herself in the moment and enjoying the calm that had washed over her as her eyes slipped shut,

"I did not expect to find you out here, my friend." A voice suddenly spoke, and Felicity's heart leapt into her throat.

She whipped her head around, eyes snapping open and landing on the form of their team leader, "Kaldur! I, uh, didn't hear you approach."

The sky had darkened significantly as the sun further dipped below the skyline, and Felicity wondered just how long she had been standing out there for.

"My apologies," Kaldur placed a hand over his heart, "I did not mean to startle you."

Felicity shrugged, "It's fine." She turned her gaze from the Atlantean and back to the water, "I was just getting some fresh air."

"The ocean is a good place to clear one's head." Kaldur hummed, folding his arms behind his back.

The blonde nodded but remained silent, unsure of what else to say in response, and an unsteady silence settled over the duo. A cool breeze blew across the beach, and Felicity shivered, shoving her hands further into her pockets in hopes of finding more warmth.

Felicity peered at Kaldur out of the corner of her eye, mind fumbling for words. She knew she should probably apologize for her actions in the simulation- Black Canary had also mentioned that she should talk to Kaldur (and Artemis)-, but the words to say eluded her. No matter how many times she tried to get herself to speak, she'd clam up, so she just opted for staying silent.

When her mind was ready to speak, it would.

After a few more moments of silence, and just when the blonde felt ready to speak, Kaldur beat her to it, "I hope you recognize your worth to this team, Felicity." He turned his seafoam gaze onto the girl, "I know I- as well as the others- would sorely miss you if you were gone. You bring balance and stability to us, and we would be lost without you."

Felicity felt a lump form in her throat at the Atlantean's kind words, and fresh tears threatened to fall, "I-I-" She stammered, "Thanks, Kal. And I…" The girl trailed off, picking at a nail and staring back out at the ocean for a moment. She sucked in a breath and faced her leader, "I'm sorry for what I did in the simulation. I know I shouldn't have sacrificed myself like that."

"You do not need to apologize, my friend," Kaldur placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder, "for I was prepared to do the same for you."

"I know, but-"

"There are no buts, Felicity." The Atlantean cut in, voice tender and wise, "You know as well as I do that we were placed in a difficult scenario, one designed to only get worse as we progressed. I value your commitment to my livelihood, but you should always commit to yours as well."

Felicity nodded and glanced at the beach beneath her feet, kicking at the sand, "Of course, Kal, I just… I got Artemis killed, and I couldn't be the reason you got killed either."

"You would not have been." There was a pause as Kaldur turned his gaze towards the ocean, mind tumbling as he thought over his next words, "Felicity, I am not particularly troubled by the sacrifices you have made for me, more so I am troubled by your reasoning for these sacrifices." The blonde looked up, brown eyes confused but he just kept speaking, "You may not believe it, but this team needs you, just like it needs me. You are important."

Kaldur glanced back at Felicity, whose body was rigid. She was on the verge of tears, unsure of what to say in response to the Atlantean's words, and since actions were known to speak louder than words, the blonde turned. She flung herself into Kaldur's side, arms wrapping tightly around his torso. He was caught off guard by the sudden action, but Kaldur wrapped an arm around the smaller girl, nonetheless.

"I-" Felicity sniffled, tears cascading down her cheeks, "Thank you."

It would take more than a day to 'cure' her depression and lack of self-worth, but it was a start, and one that she was going to latch onto.

"You are welcome," The leader murmured, webbed hand rubbing up and down Felicity's arm. They stood in silence for a few moments, Kaldur allowing the blonde to hold onto him as they stared out at the ocean. Another minute of silence went by before he broke it, "Have you talked to her yet?"

Felicity pulled back slightly before glancing up, brows furrowed, "Canary?"

"No, Artemis."

"Oh," Her head fell slightly as she returned her gaze to the ocean, mindlessly watching the waves crash in the distance, "No."

"Then maybe you should; it may help to… alleviate some of your guilt."

Felicity nodded, "Canary said the same thing."

"She gives good advice as well," Kaldur cracked a sly grin as she peered up at him.

"Stay humble, Kal." Felicity shot back with a laugh, and the Atlantean chuckled.

A soft breeze tumbled across the beach, and Felicity shivered as it passed by the duo. Kaldur still had his arm wrapped around the girl, and even though she was wearing a sweater, he could still feel how cold she was.

"We should head inside," He suggested, and he felt Felicity's head nod against his chest, "You are freezing."

"It's a little cold out here…"

Kaldur chuckled, "Then come now, we do not want you getting a cold."

The duo turned, Felicity's arms still wrapped around the Atlantean's torso, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. They made their way across the beach and towards the back entrance into the mountain.

"I don't think that's how that works, Kal."

"Is it not?" The boy holding onto her questioned, "I was under the assumption humans get colds when their bodies become too cold."

Felicity couldn't help but laugh, smiling up at Kaldur as he looked down at her in confusion, "And who told you this?"

"Wally."

Of course.

"He was just messing with you. A cold is caused by a virus, not by the lack of heat."

"That would make more sense."

Felicity and Kaldur untangled themselves as the approached the back entrance of Mount Justice, a comfortable silence lingering over the duo. Just as they prepared to call out to Red Tornado to open the back hatch, it suddenly opened, startling the two.

No one was on the other side of the hatch waiting to exit, and Felicity shared a confused glance with Kaldur. Before either of the two had a chance to question why the hatch had suddenly opened, they heard a familiar whirring sound, and their heads snapped upwards.

Conner waved at the duo from the air, a smile on his face as Wolf wagged his tail happily beside him. Felicity did a double take, however, as her eyes landed on whatever was keeping the clone in the air.

The flying contraption beeped and whirred happily at the duo, the sounds being very familiar. Felicity and Kaldur shifted to the side, allowing Conner and his flying machine to enter into the hanger. Once they had landed, the two walked in and the door shut behind them.

The clone leapt out of the machine, Wolf following his master before happily trotting up to Felicity. She reached out, scratching the large canine under his chin as Conner made his approach.

"Uhm, whatcha got there, Conner?" Felicity glanced up, still petting Wolf as her gaze fell upon Conner's new ride.

The clone grinned, "It's Sphere!"

Kaldur and Felicity shared a look, the former replying to the smiling Conner, "That is… Sphere?" It was less a comment and more a question, because it certainly did not look like Sphere.

Conner nodded, "Yeah, it's uh, it's a long story."

"Then you better start talking." A new voice suddenly spoke, this one deep and gruff. The three teens turned around, watching as Batman and Red Tornado- flanked by a curious Robin and Wally- entered into the garage.

The four approached the others, and the clone's shoulders drooped as he sighed, "Guess I'll start with the Forever People."

After Conner relayed his story to Batman and the others present, Sphere reverted back to her original form that gave her her name- but not before Wally dubbed her the 'SuperCycle'. The Dark Knight wished to run some more diagnostic tests on the piece of New Genesis tech, and Conner begrudgingly relented, though Sphere seemed more than happy to comply as she happily beeped as she followed Batman and Red Tornado out of the garage.

Robin had followed after his mentor, and Kaldur departed for the zetas to head back to Shayeris to visit his mother. Conner had left to go find Black Canary to do his therapy session, so that just left Felicity and Wally.

The silence within the garage was deafening, with a tension settling over the two so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Felicity wrung her hands together as she turned away from the speedster. She had been avoiding him since the simulation, but now the two were alone together.

Neither really knew what to say, and Wally was hoping that Felicity would speak to him first. He hated feeling like a bother, and her ignoring him whilst he tried to maintain some semblance of communication made him feel like one. He wasn't mad at her, honest to gods. Wally just wanted to make sure that she was okay.

And another part of him, the more selfish part, wanted to know where they stood, and if there was a chance to fix their relationship.

Felicity glanced at Wally, brown eyes meeting green and she immediately tore her gaze from his, guilt washing over her body, "I-I'm sorry." She finally stammered out. All she could do was apologize.

Wally was just one of many people on a long list of hers that she owed apologies too.

The blonde's apology wasn't just for what had occurred in the simulation, it was for everything that had ever happened between the two. After the mole issue and Wally being pissed for her knowing and not telling him, she had run away from the relationship instead of trying to work things out and solve their problems together, like real couples do.

The whole ordeal had probably caused Wally great heartache, but Felicity had just been trying to protect herself in the process. Instead, however, it all had backfired, and she felt more pain than she could have ever imagined. She didn't think the speedster would be so forgiving, and it seemed like he was getting close to Artemis, so Felicity left things be.

After the simulation, however, confusion was an understatement for how she was feeling.

She couldn't deny that she still had feelings for Wally, not that they had ever gone away after their initial break-up, and they had only seemed to grow stronger since. As for the speedster, it had been truly hard to tell what his feelings were. On one hand, Wally was like an open book, straight forward with his feelings, especially with all of his flirting, but since their break-up, his flirting had significantly lessened, not just with her, but with M'gann as well. This had made it hard to gauge how he felt about her.

In the simulation, Wally had kissed her and held her close, telling her that he needed her, and it obviously gave Felicity some insight into how he felt about her.

But was that just the simulation talking, or was that how Wally truly felt about her?

There was just a lot on her mind when it came to the speedster, stuff that she didn't want to talk about with Black Canary, as she wasn't sure if the Leaguer could've even helped her.

"Felicity?" Wally voiced softly, hesitantly, as he inched slowly towards the shaking blonde.

She hadn't even realized she was crying again.

Where were all these tears coming from?

Running a shaky hand through her messy bangs, Felicity turned to face the speedster head on. His emerald eyes weren't as bright as they normally were, as they were clouded over with pain and sorrow, and she immediately felt a pang at the thought that that was her doing, "I'm sorry for everything, Wally." The words tumbled out of her mouth, "I-I care for you, a lot, and I shouldn't have turned tail and ran after that mole fiasco. And then I just left you in the simulation after I pr-pr-" Felicity's voice cut out as a sob slipped through instead and she pressed a hand to her forehead as more tears trekked down her cheeks, "-promised I wouldn't leave you. This whole thing is just… it's my fault…"

The girl's words ended in a whisper and Wally just stared at her. She was fully facing him, but once she had said her piece, her eyes had become downcast and the cave floor stole her attention. The speedster fumbled for words himself, as he hadn't expected words- or an apology- like from Felicity so easily.

Wally had prepared a whole speech in his head of things he was going to say to Felicity, things he was going to apologize for, just to get her to talk to him. Now those words and prepared speech were gone, replaced by a frazzled mind as he digested her words.

This thing is just… it's my fault.

Those words echoed and bounced around his mind, standing out the most to him from her speech. Felicity was always the one to blame herself for things, and it hurt that she thought so little of herself.

Especially when he thought the world of her.

Wally couldn't help but zip forward, pulling the sniffling girl to his chest and just holding her close. Breathing heavily, Felicity wound her arms around the speedster's torso, inhaling his familiar scent as a welcoming sense of calm returned to her body.

"It's not your fault," Wally murmured gently into her hair, "and it never will be. I should've put my trust in you, not my anger. I needed to stand by your side, but instead I turned my back on you and pushed you away. I would've left in your position as well," The speedster pulled back from the embrace, hands moving to cup Felicity's cheek. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and more tears were threatening to spill. He gently ran his thumbs under her pretty eyes, wiping away the tears, "And I'm not going to lie, losing you in the simulation hurt like hell, but coming to and realizing you were still alive?" Wally inhaled sharply and pressed his forehead to Felicity's, "All that pain dissipated, and there was just one thing on my mind: making things up to you."

"Wally," Felicity breathed out, her eyes searching his own. They seemed brighter than earlier, and even a bit happier.

"I care about you, Felicity, and if- if it's alright with you," Wally paused, a soft grin settling on his lips as her heart rate picked up, "I'd… I'd like us to get back together."

Felicity bounced in his arms, a warm feeling spreading over her body. Her words failed once more so she tipped her head up, pressing her lips against Wally's own. He reacted immediately, melting into the kiss with a smile.

The two stood there for a few minutes, time seemingly standing still before Wally pulled back. His hands were still cupping her face, and he caressed her cheeks, "And this time we'll face our problems together, as a couple?" He murmured softly.

Felicity nodded, "Of course."

Wally and Felicity strolled down the corridor, making their way out of the garage hand in hand. They talked about random things- school, life, friends, etc- just catching up on the finer details in each other's lives they had missed. The two had discussed their feelings and stuff a bit more before leaving the garage, but they were quick to move onto lighter topics of conversation when they felt everything had been talked out.

All this talking had Felicity feeling exhausted. She was ready to go home and sleep, but she also wanted to make up for lost time with Wally.

The two rounded a corner and were suddenly greeted by Artemis. The archer was headed in the opposite direction, en route to the garage. The trio paused, and Felicity dropped Wally's hand, more out of habit than anything.

"I see you two have made up," Artemis broke the silence. Her tone wasn't very lighthearted, as it was more tired than anything, but there was a soft grin on her face that made Felicity believe she didn't say it maliciously.

Wally rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, yeah, we did." He glanced at Felicity and couldn't help the fond smile that made its way onto his face.

Artemis caught the expression, and her smile faltered slightly. At one point in time she may have had feelings for the speedster- and a part of her still could very well harbor mild feelings for him- but she could tell Felicity made him happy, and she wasn't one to stand in the way of that.

Her tone was more genuine this time when she spoke, "Good, I'm happy for you two." Artemis made a move to walk around the couple and leave, "I'm actually about to grab my bike and drive home. So I'll see you two later?"

Wally's brows furrowed, "Don't you live in Star City with Green Arrow? That's like on the opposite side of the country, and you're going to bike there?" The speedster wasn't looking to pick a fight with Artemis, he just kind of blurted the question out, but Felicity found herself confused as well.

"Oh, well, uhm," The archer fumbled for a moment, looking caught off-guard before she recomposed herself, "I'm visiting some family in Gotham so that's, uh, where I'm headed for the night." Artemis cleared her throat and was looking anywhere and everywhere but at Wally and Felicity.

The two shared a look and Felicity shrugged, chalking up Artemis's flubbed response to nerves. The archer has never really been one to open up about herself, "Okay, but, uh, could we talk first?"

Artemis was the last person on her list that she owed an apology to- or at least, she needed to talk to- so it was now or never.

The archer quirked a fine brow, confusion evident in her grey eyes, "Yeah, sure." She agreed hesitantly.

Felicity offered her a small grin before facing Wally. She grabbed his arm and looked up at him, "Would you mind giving us a sec and I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

"Okay," The speedster shrugged. He bid Artemis a quick goodbye before disappearing down the hallway.

Artemis faced the other blonde, "So, what's up?"

Felicity took a deep breath, "I just wanted to apologize for-"

"What happened in the simulation?" The archer cut in, and she nodded, "Don't sweat it."

"But-"

"Look, it was a choice I made, okay? Either the both of us were going to die, or just one of us, and just one seemed like the better option. I became coma-girl, and that was fine by me." Artemis propped her hands on her hips. Her tone had become semi-clipped, as she had already had a similar conversation like this with Black Canary, and she just wanted to move on.

"I-" Felicity swallowed thickly as she processed the archer's words, "O-okay." The apology didn't go as she had expected it, but she also wasn't sure what to expect.

Artemis noticed the deterred tone of Felicity's voice and sighed. She stepped forward, placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder. This was putting herself out of her comfort zone, but Black Canary was right, she needed to open up more to her friends.

"I may have been the first one to die, Felicity, but that prevented me from suffering in the simulation like you and the others did. It's- it's selfish of me, but I'm glad I was the first to die. I avoided the worst part of the simulation. I'm just sorry you had to suffer."

Felicity nodded and sucked in a deep breath, "Thanks, Artemis."

Nodding, the archer patted the other blonde's shoulder before pulling her hand back, "No problem." She turned her body slightly, and gestured towards the garage, "I'm gonna get going, alright?"

Felicity could tell Artemis was feeling on edge and slightly uncomfortable, so she did the first thing that came to mind.

Artemis suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her shoulders, and the blonde froze for a second. Felicity gave the archer a soft squeeze, not minding the fact that Artemis hadn't hugged her back. She probably wasn't going to, and that was just fine.

Whereas Felicity liked to hug feelings out, she knew Artemis probably didn't share the same sentiment.

"We're all here for you, Artemis." Felicity murmured in the archer's ear. She meant it. Obviously, Artemis had a hard time opening up to them, and the fact that she had just opened up some to Felicity meant a lot to the girl, so she just wanted to reaffirm that they were there for her to.

Felicity went to pull away, but Artemis suddenly reciprocated the hug. It was short and just as fast as she archer had wrapped her arms around the other blonde, she was already pulling away.

"Uhm, thanks, Felicity." The two were fully separated, and Artemis nodded at the other girl.

Smiling, she responded, "Anytime. Have a safe drive, okay?"

"Okay."

After her conversation with Artemis, Felicity's heart was feeling the best it had felt all day. It was amazing what a little conversation could do for your feelings, but she had always been hesitant to even had those conversations, because sometimes they could end very badly and just make things worse.

But that hadn't happened today, and for the first time in a while, Felicity was feeling genuinely happy.

The blonde entered the kitchen, only to suddenly pause as her eyes landed on the countertops before her.

They were chocked full of various junk food and drinks, but Felicity wasn't sure why. There were two heaping bowls of popcorn, obviously fresh if the aroma of the kitchen was anything to go by. Laying besides them were large bags of pretzels and chips, coupled with a few different types of dips. She also spotted a bag of M&Ms- one of her favorite candies- as well as some other chocolate delicacies. A few different liters of pop sat on the end of the countertop, finishing off this junk food heaven.

Felicity's brows furrowed in confusion, and she trekked further into the kitchen. She had told Wally she'd meet him here, but wasn't sure where he was, so she couldn't tell if this was his doing or not.

"Perfect!" The speedster's voice suddenly echoed from the living room, and Felicity followed it.

When she passed the cluttered countertop and finally found Wally, her mouth dropped. She smiled in disbelief- and excitement- as she took in the sight before her.

"W-what is this?" She questioned incredulously.

Wally jumped, having not realized his girlfriend- he was so ecstatic to call her that again- had made her appearance. A broad grin spread across his face and he opened his arms up wide, "Welcome to Fort Wallicity!"

It seemed that, sometime during her talk with Artemis, Wally had managed to build a giant pillow fort out of the couches and pillows of the Mount Justice living room. The couches had all been pushed together, with the coffee table being shoved to the side. Any moveable pillows from the couches had been removed, with some laying on the floor in front of the couches as a makeshift mattress. The speedster had even gotten a few large blankets and sheets from somewhere, and they were strung out over the pillow and couch base, providing a makeshift roof.

Felicity glanced from the fort to the food, her bright smile never leaving her face, "When did you even have the time for this? I was gone for like five minutes!"

"You dare underestimate a speedster?" Wally flashed her a sly smile, and Felicity gave him a look. He relented and held his hands up, "Okay, okay. M'gann and Conner helped me set this up." The speedster began to carefully move around the fort, as to not knock anything over, as he made his way towards Felicity, "I just wanted to do something nice for you," He admitted when he reached the girl, grabbing ahold of one of her hands, "and I know you probably want to just go home and sleep, but I figured I could entice you to stay a bit with a nice night in and an awesome pillow fort?"

A giddy feeling settled in the pit of Felicity's stomach as she looked from the pillow fort to her boyfriend, who was smiling eagerly at her, "How could I say no?"

If it was even possibly, Wally's smile increased even more at her words, and he was quick to dip down and capture her lips with his. The kiss was short, but it was full of passion and when he pulled away, she was left wanting more.

As if reading her mind, the speedster pecked her nose and murmured, "They'll be plenty more where that came from later on."

Felicity giggled, a squeal escaping her lips as she was suddenly thrown into some pillows, Wally having picked her up and deposited her in the middle of the pillow fort. He disappeared for a few seconds, returning with one of the large bowls of popcorn and some M&Ms. He passed them onto Felicity, who graciously accepted them, before he zipped off to the kitchen once more.

After a few trips, the two were now surrounded with a good-sized pile of some not-so-healthy goodies. Wally popped in a Disney movie (one of Felicity's favorites) and the two settled in for a night of snacking and movies.

The opening credits for Beauty and the Beast began to play, and Felicity glanced over at Wally. Feeling eyes on himself, the speedster looked over at his girlfriend, brow quirked, "What?"

"I just realized but… Wallicity?"

"Whaaat? It's our ship name!"

Felicity shook her head, laughing as she popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth, "I'm sure we could do better than that."

"Oh really?" Wally's nose crinkled- the blonde having the urge to kiss it- as he began to think, "What about BirdFlash?"

Brown eyes twinkling mischievously, Felicity just shrugged, "I think that ship name is taken."

"Really? By who?"

"Oh, don't worry about it." The blonde responded elusively as she turned to face the movie. A few seconds of silence went by, the two watching the movie play on screen. Wally continued to think about the ship name, and realization suddenly dawned on him.

"Wait… who is that ship name for?"

Felicity shook her head and continued to eat popcorn, dread building up within the speedster's stomach at her silence. Wally tried to plead with her again.

"Babe, who?"

More silence.

"Babe!"

Yeah, things were really starting to look up.

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long. As you can see, it was mostly an original chapter based on the events of Disordered, so that made it harder to write. Plus, I'm terrible myself at apologies and words so you can imagine that makes it harder to write apologies/a therapy session lmao

Hope you guys like it though~

I'm kind of iffy on a few parts, but if I take any longer on this, it's just never going to come out lol

Also, to the guest reviewer who thought Failsafe was forced: It's not like Kaldur would have much choice. They needed to take down the alien ship, and Robin's plan was the only viable option. The team's only other option was to sit back and so nothing, and obviously they wouldn't do that. Kaldur may have gone inside instead, sure, but then there'd be no one to stay outside and draw fire, because like Miss Martian said, Aqualad would never let Superboy sacrifice himself- he'd go himself. So that's what I played off of. Robin even stated Aqualad would sacrific himself like that. Thanks for your input though! I appreciate any and all thoughts and opinions.

Thank you guys for all of your support, I really appreciate it! 33

I know I say this all the time, but hopefully the next chapter will be faster! It's a bit more easygoing so it should be faster to work with.

Word Count: 8,422

Page Count: 19

Until next time,

-SnowWolf22