Chapter 22:

They decided to keep Wally at Wayne Manor. That way no one would discover him and he could be tended to till he woke up. They still needed to figure out how to tell the team. Dick knew it was his responsibility, he just had to come out and say it.

Wally woke up three days after he returned. Dick was sitting by his bed with Conner, M'gann, Kaldur, Roy and Barbara when he did.

"It worked? I'm back? Did you tell Artemis?" Wally tried to get up but Conner pushed him back down.

"You just woke up and you need to stay in bed. For a few hours at least Wally."

"It's good to see you too Dick," Wally said with a smile, "It's good to see all of you."

He was about to ask them some more questions when they heard Tim yell.

"Bart stop! We're taking shifts remember?" A blur of red was by Wally's side in under a second.

"Wally! You're awake! I thought you had hit the mode! But you're back which is crash. Just in time for Dad and Aunt Dawn to be born in a ….." Bart covered his mouth.

"Sorry. Spoilers."

"It's okay Bart. I never thought I'd say this but I finally understand how hard it is to keep from spoilers."

Tim raced down the stairs right before Wally finished.

"What did you say about spoilers? Dick you promised!" He glared at his brother.

"Not that kind. Don't worry I didn't tell."

"Bart. You were supposed to stay upstairs too!" Tim scolded.

"Sorry, but you're the one who left Jaime alone."

"Stop arguing you two," Dick commanded. "Let us get Wally oriented. Don't tell the team though. You only have to keep the secret for another few hours.

"Dick can you update me? How Artemis? How are you guys? How's Lian?" he directed the last one at Roy who handed him a picture.

"Once we figured out you were alive we're okay. It's the same thing as always otherwise. Artemis is having trouble adjusting. She asked school for a year off and has started going off on her own a lot. She's not talking to me either. She blames me for your death and frankly I understand."

"I need to see her," he pleaded toward Dick. The others still looked to him as a leader.

Soon. A few hours of rest then you can go visit your parents, Aunt and the Garricks. From there we'll go see the team."

"Now," he said and tried to get up.

"Give it a few hours Wally. You hate bed rest as much as you did when we were 15," Conner pushed his friend back onto the bed.

Dick left the other four to talk to Wally. He should let the others know Wally had woken up. Barbara followed him up the stairs and out of the grandfather clock.

"Need me to call a meeting?" She asked Dick.

"I don't think Wally could wait much longer. Call one for tonight and don't let anyone know."

"Dick, do you really think so little of me?"

"How could I think little of the most wonderful girl on this or any world?" He said. He wrapped his arms around Barbara and gave her a kiss on the cheek before turning away to attend to other business.

FlashKidFlash FlashKidFlash FlashKidFlashFlashKidFlash

WatchTower

The team had all been called up to the WatchTower. It was time for the reveal. Aqualad, Batgirl, Superboy and Ms. Martian helped him get everyone seated in chairs they had brought to the room for this. Now it was time for Dick to explain it all.

"There is no easy way to tell you guys this. But…." Dick was interrupted by the Zeta Beam sounding.

Red Arrow B02

Kid Flash B03

No one was bothered when Red Arrow's name was called. They figured Nightwing had called him for the meeting too. When Kid Flash was called they all turned to Bart to make sure he was still there. He was.

"It must be a glitch," Mal said, "Nightwing can you check."

"I'm no glitch," Wally sped into the room.

Immediately everyone was armed and ready to fight. Wally help up his hands and Dick just laughed.

"Couldn't wait could you?"

"You were gonna be all dramatic. Didn't want them to have to suffer that," answered his best friend.

"I think your entrance was more dramatic," Nightwing said.

"That can't be Wally. He's gone. Nightwing why are you doing this?" Artemis snarled and aimed her crossbow.

"Relax Arty. It's really me."

She didn't let down her guard. Almost everyone stepped back but the other members of the original six didn't.

"It's him Artemis," Superboy said.

"Uncle J'onn and I checked. It's really him Artemis. We brought him home," M'gann soothed her friend who had fallen to her knees at Conner's words. The same position she was in when she learnt of what had happened to Wally in the Reach's hands.

"He's dead," she choked through her sobs.

"It is him Artemis. Nightwing brought Wally back," Aqualad said.

"No one can be brought back from the dead. Zatanna told me that," she wasn't believing this.

"Artemis, he never died. He ceased," Nightwing said.

"Ceased?"

"Yeah.. The Sc-" Dick's explanation was cut off. Wally was slowly approaching Artemis. He kneeled down to meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry I left. I never wanted to and I never will again if I have the choice. Saving the world though.. it's what we do," Wally told his girlfriend.

Nightwing and M'gann chuckled.

"You've always been a pessimist. You had trouble staying traught. So I understand why you've had trouble believing this," Nightwing spoke.

"Thank you," Wally said sarcastically, "He's always third wheeling us, but he's right. That's what makes us a good team. I'm your opposite. I always believed we could survive anything (i.e. Failsafe). We've survived being lovers from opposite ninja clans." When he said that last part she laughed. That's how she knew it was him. They had never told anyone about what had happened in Bialya. Plus she had told him once she thought they never could survive as a relationship as completed opposites. He had proved her wrong many times.

"We can survive anything," he continued, "Artemis I know this is sudden, but before all of this craziness happened I had been thinking about it for a while. Will you marry me?"

He held out a ring that he had gotten specially made. A golden band shaped like a lightning bolt ended in an Emerald arrowhead. With tears in her eyes she nodded yes.

For the first time in months they did what they both thought they would never be lucky enough to do again. They kissed.

Wolf whistles, squeals and applause sounded all throughout the Watch Tower. Wally was welcomed home exuberantly. He never left Artemis's side for long though. He always raced back to her throughout his welcome home/Engagement party. After he finished talking to someone he went to find her and give her a peck on the cheek before racing off again. Everyone was realizing with all the whooshing around Wally had somehow gotten faster. He was no longer the slowest speedster as proved when he, Bart and Barry raced for the same plate of Nachos. Somehow his interdimensional travel using the speed force had made him faster.

Artemis smiled as she watched Wally hug everyone goodbye as they left for their homes via Zeta Beam. She stood in the garden by the team memorial statues, Wally's was no longer needed.

"I have a way to shut it off. Thought you should do the honors," Nightwing said as he came up behind her.

"Thanks," she said as she took hit the button on his wrist that turned off the memorial. "Not just for this. For everything. You never gave up on him or me for that matter. You've been there for us this whole way. Honestly I can't count how many things Wally and I owe you for at this point Dick. I can't thank you enough or tell how sorry I am for forgetting that in my grief and pushing you away. What happened wasn't your fault."

He started to protest.

"It wasn't Dick. You can't place the world on your shoulders, no matter how many times you've saved it. "

He blushed at that.

"She's right," Wally said. "I wouldn't be home without you. You're the best best friend (brother) I could've asked for. I need to ask for your forgiveness as well. You didn't need to save me after the way I treated you when Artemis was undercover. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I was angry and wasn't thinking. What we did was the best scenario and I know so because you ran calculations on all of them. At least we suffered minimal losses and the one person who did die didn't actually die."

"There's no need to ask forgiveness. Neither of you have anything to forgive. We both just really missed you Wally. "

"I did too man. That just proves how you never gave up on me or Artemis. You've been there for us both from day one. So I want to ask you….. will you be my best man?"

"Wally, I'd be honored," Dick hugged his best friend. Artemis could sense Dick wanted to ask something else but was holding back so she smiled and broke up the bro hug to tell him what he wanted to know.

"I had trouble deciding on a maid of honor. I picked Barbara though. M'gann and Zatanna will understand. I went to school with Barb for years and Wally's known her maybe even longer. It wouldn't make sense to have anyone else."

In the background Bart smiled. It seems that now everything was on track. Wally was alive again and the mode had been crashed. His future was safe and in a few years Bart had a feeling he'd be meeting to special new speedsters. Iris Paula West was named after her two grandmothers. Even though they no longer were there in Bart's future Roy and Jade had been named her godparents as Wally and Artemis were Lian's. Jai Grayson West took after his godfather and namesake Dick Grayson who with his wife and Jai's godmother Barbara, had fought for Gotham against the reach even after Bruce went down. Now it seemed the West twin's future looked a lot better than it used to be. Bart could just relax and watch as time happened instead of trying to save it. After all it seemed to be in good hands.