Chapter 8 Blue and Gold

Ted and Beatriz settled comfortably into their life as a happily married couple. Ted never told Beatriz that he had recovered the memories of the past. In the back of Ted's mind he knew that at some point the past would come back to haunt him. He didn't expect it to happen so soon.

When Ted arrived at his office he was surprised to find Booster Gold sitting in the reception area near his door. Booster saw him approaching and tried to maintain his composure but he was so excited to see Ted again that he rushed to his best friend gave him a bear hug and hoisted him into the air.

"Ted! I-I can't believe you're here!"

"I know Michael, I'm glad to see you too!"

"Guy told me and I thought he was nuts until I checked with the University. It's like-like a dream come true! Blue and Gold together again!"

"You-uh can let me go now Booster people are starting to stare."

"Yeah, right I'm just so- so well you know happy man! You're alive!"

"Come into my office so we can talk."

"I ran into Guy at the JLA and he told me some crazy story about you having amnesia."

"Booster I did have amnesia that is until Guy and Ice showed up at the hospital."

"They found you at the hospital?"

"Yes and no. I guess Guy didn't tell you everything."

"He told me that you were alive, that's all that matters. Ted I don't want to get all mushy on you but since you died I –I just couldn't seem to pull my life together I felt like someone had ripped my guts out and set them on fire!"

Ted was thrilled to see his best friend but when Booster mentioned fire he became visibly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry about what my "death" put you through."

"I won't lie to you man, it was pure hell. How did you manage to survive?"

"I'm not really sure, I don't remember much, I woke up from a coma and my dad told me there had been an accident."

"It's been almost a year since we buried you I can't believe you've been living in New York all this time."

"When I got my memory back I didn't know how to contact you."

"Why didn't you notify the league they knew how to reach me?"

"I've had a lot on my mind. I've been busy."

"Now that we're a team again it's time you suited up and got back in the game!"

"Booster I think you need to sit down."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that. You're not going to tell me that you have a brain tumor or something."

"You're my best friend and we've always had each other's backs but my super hero days are over."

"You can't mean that!"

Fire and Ice met at a coffee shop in So Ho after sharing an embrace the women ordered coffee and sat down at a private table on the patio.

"You look great Bea! Much better than you did the last time I saw you."

"I feel better Tora, not like I did before but its an improvement. I'm glad to see you; I've missed you so much."

"I miss you too. It's been weeks, I expected you to call me sooner."

"Well you know Ted is having a hard time dealing with my setback."

"Is he still blaming me?"

At first she didn't answer she looked at Tora saw her pain and quickly diverted her gaze.

"He hasn't said a word about you or Guy things are starting to get back to normal between us so I stayed away because I didn't want to risk upsetting him."

"This doesn't sound like you at all since when have you let a man tell you whom you can and cannot see."

"He's not just some man Tora he's my husband and I love him. I wish I could explain it better but its complicated. And believe it or not I really want my marriage to work."

"I'm happy for you Bea, I really am and I'm glad that Ted was there for you when you needed someone."

"He wasn't just there for me Tora he saved my life."

"And I'm grateful for that are you sure that you love him?"

"You know I've had feelings for Ted since we first met. He took care of me even when I was nothing but a stranger to him."

"There's a difference between love and gratitude."

"I know that Tora I love him and I love you too, I don't want to turn my back on either of you so I'm asking you as my best friend, please don't make me choose."

"So you're cutting me out of your life to save your marriage? That doesn't make sense if you two really love each other then there should be room in your life for both of us."

"Just give it time Tora, give me time. Ted is every bit as insecure as he was in the old days. Soon he'll see that being friends with you doesn't mean that I'm turning my back on our life together or our marriage he just needs a little time."

Tora was moved by her impassioned plea. She still carried guilt over not being with Beatriz when she was going through hell. Not wanting to cause her an ounce of pain she reached out and took her hand.

"I'm sorry; I over reacted I'm beginning to sound too much like you when you had a hissy fit over Guy and me. I'm here for you I always will be you know that. Who knows, maybe Ted will get his memory back and all of this will be one big laugh for us all."

"Tora I'm not sure I want him to remember, I'm afraid that if he does he'll start seeing me as a friend again and ask for his freedom."

"That s not going to happen, you didn't see how distraught he was when you were in the hospital. Ted loves you, there's no way he's ever going to leave you."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Gee, both of you are so insecure, I don't know why I didn't see it before but I think you're perfect for each other."

Booster was speechless he knew that his friend had been through a lot and he had suffered from amnesia.

"Booster, my life is different now, I'm happy I have a beautiful wife who loves me, I'm a well-respected tenured professor at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Right now I have everything I've ever wanted."

"Wait a minute a wife? Did I hear you right?"

"Yes Booster I'm a happily married man."

"Married? As in married- married?"

Ted nodded and smiled.

"Uh, anybody I know? Wait let me guess! You must have met some red hot rocket scientist and fell in nerd love over test tubes?"

"Actually you do know her and yes my wife is smoking hot but she's not a scientist… Booster I married Fire."

"Who?"

"Fire."

"Our Fire? Justice league Fire? With the big-"

"Watch it! This is my wife you're talking about!"

"But you can't I mean why? How?"

"When I met her I didn't know who she was, she was very sick and I-"

"You can't be serious! Fire? She's not even your type. Come to think about it when it comes to being somebody's wife, well Fire's not wife material! She's a one night stand, a fling maybe."

"Don't make me hurt you Booster! You never really knew her so stop making judgments about what kind of woman she is."

"Try to be rational about this Ted, you married her when you didn't know who she was she obviously took advantage of that it should be easy to have the marriage annulled."

"You haven't been listening to a word I've said. Booster! I'm happy with Fire she's my wife and I love her."

"I don't believe this."

"Believe it! Now if you want to be a part of my life you have to accept the choices I've made. You're like a brother to me and I love you man you know that but you have to accept the fact that I love Fire too we have a great life together and with her help I've accomplished a lot. Just because I'm no longer wearing tights that doesn't mean we can't still be the best of friends why can't you just be happy for me?"

Booster tried to take a step back and consider what his friend was saying. He felt bad about his reaction, Fire had always been a good friend to him and he knew that she would never take advantage of Ted.

"Ted, I'm sorry, I was way out of line, Fire would never take advantage of you or anyone else for that matter. But you have to look at this from my point of view, I've known both of you for a long time and I've never seen you show any kind of romantic interest in her."

"I've always found her attractive."

"What straight man wouldn't? Fire is unmistakably hot but she's a friend, a good friend."

"We're still friends Booster but we're lovers too. I know this is coming out of left field for you, in the old days I never made a play for Fire because I always thought she was way out of my league. She was sweet, fun and caring but I didn't think we had enough in common to pursue a relationship."

"What changed your mind?"

"Not knowing who she was I went out on a limb and made a move. In doing so I found out what a wonderful woman she is. I love just being with her. It's like she knows what I need or want before I even ask and she trusts me, she believes in me all I want to do is take care of her and make her happy."

If she's so "right" for you why didn't you make a move on her before?"

"I didn't make a play for her in the past because I didn't have the confidence, hell back then I didn't have the confidence to make a move on any woman."

"Yeah, you always did sell yourself short." Booster added.

"Well everything is different now; having a woman like her in my corner makes me feel that the sky is the limit. I've never been happier."

Booster was torn between being happy for his best friend and wanting things to go back to being the way that they were.

"I-I don't know what to say Ted, I can't say that I'm not disappointed to hear that you don't want to be the Blue Beetle anymore."

"That's somebody else's job now, I hear that the Reyes kid is doing a good job. I still feel like a superhero Booster my research and inventions have saved thousands of lives."

"Just make sure that you still have time for me Beetle, for us. I've missed you more than you know."

"The feeling is mutual pal. Look, I need a favor from you."

"A favor? What favor? I'm almost afraid to ask."

"It's no big deal really. I haven't told Fire that I got my memories back."

"You haven't told her? Why? I thought you said you had this great marriage, why would you keep this from her?"

"Honestly? I don't want to lose her, and I'm afraid that once she realizes that I remember the past she will want things to go back to being the way that they were."

"You don't think that she loves you?"

"I know she does, she loves me, the Ted Kord that she knows now, not the tool I was back then. Just keep this secret for me I'll figure out a way to tell her the truth, I just need to buy some time."

"Sure Ted if that's what you want. I'm concerned though; if you guys are really a happy couple I don't understand why you would keep anything from her."

"I know what I'm doing Booster, just go along with me-"

"I told you I would. So tell me Ted, what's she like in the sack? I'll bet she's a real-"

"Booster!"

"I know, I know she's your wife so you don't want to talk about it you can't blame a guy for asking."

"I'm not giving you any details but I will tell you this, I've had more sex since I've been married than I have had my whole entire life! Marriage is great I highly recommend it."