I should probably start this off with an apology that it's take so long to get this written and uploaded, but it's been a pretty busy month.

I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter... maybe it's because it took me so long to write it, but I hope that those of you who have waited so patiently aren't disappointed.

Disclaimer: Young Justice and characters are property of DC comics and do not belong to me.

"What are you looking at, Baywatch?"

Wally's jaw fell open and he found himself speechless, a phenomenon that didn't occur frequently (or ever, really) when it came to him.

More than that, he had to force himself not to bristle.

Come on, West, he chided himself. Talking to girls was supposed to be easy for him.

(On the side, he found himself wondering how his legs had brought him here. Mutiny. And then he wondered what Dick would say if he voiced that out loud.)

Artemis glowered at him. "I said what are you looking at?" she repeated.

And Wally responded with a big, fat, "Uh."

Which was, without a doubt, the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to him since that one incident in fourth grade?

He was Wally West.

He always had a comeback, a pickup line, something to make the girls laugh. They were supposed to fall for him. They weren't supposed to glare at him in a way that made him think they could vaporize him in an instant.

He wasn't supposed to dry up when the time came to talk to the one girl who didn't make him go all weak in the knees.

If only Dick could see me now.

But, thankfully, mercifully, his friend was with his mentor, at the other side of Mount Justice. He hadn't sent so much as a glance in Wally's direction.

Artemis glared at him. "Think you're going to get some kind of show?" she asked, wiping her eyes, and glaring at him all the harder.

"What?" He realized they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms but… did she seriously think he was enjoying this? That he liked seeing her brought down a level?

"No! I… I…"

For exactly two seconds, Wally considered running. Running and forgetting about this stupid conversation (which it really wasn't. It wasn't even one half). But he was trapped. He knew that.

And Wally cursed his ridiculous half a brain that was forever encouraging him to stick his foot in it.

"I just wanted to see if you were…" he began lamely, shoulders hunched. He toed the ground cautiously. If you were what? Okay?

Didn't he know how stupid that sounded? Especially coming from him?

Artemis narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Why do you care?" she asked and Wally had to admit that maybe that was a valid question.

Because we're teammates?

Because what kind of psychopath wouldn't care when someone was killed-turned to dust-right before their eyes?

"Maybe because I saw you die," was what he really said.

"From what I heard, you saw the lot of us die. Why should it be any different?"

Did she have to make this so difficult? Couldn't she see he was trying to be nice? To her?

"You were the first." He actually cringed at that. Had he really just said that out loud? He was talking about somebody's death, not his first kiss!

"Yeah, thanks for bringing that up." Artemis snorted, crossing her arms. "I'm fine. You can go bug someone else if this is so hard for you."

Wally narrowed his eyes. If that was how she wanted to play it, then fine. No skin off his back.

"Fine," he said shortly and turned his back on her. Maybe Dick had already finished his report…

He wasn't expecting to get called back.

"Wait!"

Keep walking, he told himself.

But he didn't.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Artemis said. Her voice still sounded harsh, but then it softened. "I just… I didn't mean to snap at you."

That certainly stopped Wally short. The chances of Artemis, the girl who called him Baywatch of all things, apologizing… and to him… well, Wally hadn't exactly done the math, but he'd say it was pretty slim to none.

"But thanks," she said, "for caring."

Wally shrugged. He felt no desire to preen, to bask as he otherwise might have. Instead, he suddenly felt unexplainably embarrassed. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked, making an effort to sound nonchalant. He was sure it didn't work.

Dick made it seem so effortless.

"We weren't exactly friends before all this," Artemis said. "And everyone else seems like they have their own problems to deal with." Her eyes widened as she likely realized how self-pitying and bitter she sounded. Her spine straightened with a suddenness that must have hurt. "No! That's not what I…!"

Wally coughed. "It's… fine," he said, awkwardly. Wally glanced at his teammates. "I think… I mean… it's shock." He realized how lame that must have sounded and his voice tapered off at the end, before dying all together.

"Yeah," Artemis said and there was no hint of sarcasm. No "well, duh, genius."

It was probably the shock, he reckoned.

It might have been fake, a simulation, a training exercise, of all things, but it had sure as hell felt real.

Wally shuddered.

Artemis shifted and he wondered if she were wondering how they got stuck in this moment.

He realized he was too.

"Wally!"

Wally startled, turning to the face the newcomer.

Late as always, but Wally had never been so happy to see his Uncle Barry.

He took one last glance at Artemis. "Er…"

Artemis shook her head. "You can go. I'm fine."

Wally's shoulders slumped. "Okay." He took a look at his uncle, before glancing back at her, trying to think of one last thing to say.

He drew a blank.

"Hey, Baywatch."

Her voice called his attention back to her.

He turned, seeing the wicked smirk that looked more like herself.

"Watch out for yourself more. I heard you weren't too hot out there yourself."

Wally grinned back at her. "I lasted longer than you, didn't I?"

Love it? Hate it? I'd love to hear from you guys!