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I do not own disclaimer here. But it would be so awesome if we did.

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Running Away:

Synopsis:

AU: 5 years after high school, Wally has become a Hollywood actor but when he feels nothing is going right and things start falling apart Wally runs back to Gotham to Richard Grayson's apartment to hide out. The two along with a third member, Artemis Crock, use to be the triple terrors of high school. The trio gets back together and Wally has never been happier. But when the media finds Wally hiding in Gotham, will things start to fall apart for Wally again?

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Linda Parks Apartment, Hollywood, California

Friday Night

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Linda is laying out her clothes on her bed to get ready for a dinner meeting after just stepping out of the shower. As she makes her way over to her closet her cell rings on her nightstand. She makes a detour over to the phone and checks the number; no name just an unknown number, so she decides to answer it.

"Linda Parks."

"Hey, it's Wally."

"Wally, what number are you calling me from? This is not your regular number so I almost didn't answer."

"Well, I don't have my phone on me, it's at my place. Anyway, there's nothing major going on any time soon right?"

"Well the studio is thinking about getting some writers together for a 'Justice League' movie but it's nothing you have to be there for."

"That's good because I was going to ask you to cancel any meetings and clear my schedule for me."

"Clear your schedule, for how long?"

"I don't know yet. A while I guess."

"A while, Wally where are you planning to go?"

"Not going, gone. I'm not in Cali anymore."

"WHAT!"

…

Saturday Morning

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"This is Samantha Green, for Hollywood Insider reporting live from Hollywood studios where I just found out that Wally West is missing. Famous actor and ladies' man, who's starring role as The Flash, one of DC's superhero lineup of movies has disappeared. Linda Parks, long time manager as well as on again off again girlfriend, said he's not leaving Hollywood, it's a hiatus for the actor to unwind and relax. For the past 8 months, Mr. West has been bipolar, with his actions on and off the big screen. No one knows where the flirtatious red head has gone but where ever he goes he won't be hard to find. This is Samantha Green, for Hollywood Insider."

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Gotham City Airport
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A man sits back on a bench seat at Gotham Airport wearing a Gotham Raiders hat and jacket waiting nervously for his ride. He keeps checking the entrance door hoping to see his ride and prays that every time he does he doesn't get then his heart stops when he hears a voice from behind him.

"Well, well, well. Mr. Movie Star in Gotham city." Wally slowly starts to turn looking behind him. "And still wearing that old ass Raiders jacket from high school."

Wally exhales when he sees who it is. "Damn it Rob. You scared the living hell out of me." Wally stands up and hugs his old friend.

"You know that you are still the only person to call me 'Rob' and not Richard."

"Well you know me, I have to be different but I'm never calling you Dick, unless I mean it."

"If ever a nick name I hate it's that one. Although Artemis still calls me that."

Wally smile turns to shock. "Artemis? You mean Artemis, Artemis?"

"You know another one?"

Wally shakes the shock look off his face. "Ah. . . of course I don't. I just didn't think she would still be in Gotham."

"Yep, still in Gotham and teaching at Gotham Academy."

"WHAT!" Wally's calls out in surprise. "Our old school?"

"You heard me. I don't stutter like you do every time I hear her name." Rob rubbing it in.

"Dude, I don't stutter."

"Sure, sure. Anyway, you ready to go, because I have a lunch date."

Wally picks up his bag and starts walking to the exit door. "Lunch date? HA, and they dared to call me a ladies man."

"Good thing I never went to Hollywood, huh."

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Outside Gotham Café

…

Rob and Wally pull up and park just before the outside patio of tables of the Gotham Café. Rob puts the car in park and turns the car off before looking over at Wally in the passenger seat.

"So you coming with or what?"

"I don't know. Are you seeing one girl or two?"

"One Wally, only one. You know I don't do that to women."

"Sure you don't. I guess I just imagined it when you invited two girls to prom at the same time." Wally stretching and looking up through the sun roof. "What were their names again, Barbra and Zee."

"HEY. That's not fair. I invited them as friends to go as a group. You know that."

"Sure I do." Wally giving Rob a side look before turning his eyes back out the sun roof. "So who are you meeting?"

"Her." Rob points to a blond with her back turned to them as she waits at an outside table. She turns her head to talk to the waiter and Wally jumps forward when he sees her face nearly nailing his head on the windshield.

"Oh dear god. That's Artemis!"

"Yes it is." Rob pauses for a beat. "You coming. . . . . or just breathing hard?"

"DUDE, I can't go out there." Wally never taking his eyes off her. He would have never guessed in a million years he would ever have the chance to see her again. "And how did she get HOTTER. JESUS!"

Rob opens the door. "I'll tell her you said that." As he steps out of the car quickly shutting the door behind him.

It takes Wally a few seconds to register what Rob said before snapping back to reality. "DUDE, YOU CAN'T." Wally calls out from inside the car but his voice is muffled by the car. Wally then pulls out his cell and starts to text Rob.

Rob makes it to the small white iron fence beside the table where Artemis is sitting. "Hey Blondie." Rob hops the fence and slides himself in the chair across from her.

"Hey circus freak. You could have used the gate, ya know."

"Where's the fun in that." Robs phone chimes with a text. He pulls his phone out of the case and reads the text.

"Let me guess, you got to go." Artemis says with a smile.

"Nope, just a friend."

"Sure. . . . What's her name?"

"No girl, not this time." Rob's text reads, 'Don't tell her I said she's hot just don't tell her about me at all.'

Rob giggles and looks down towards his car barely seeing Wally shaking his head no.

"What does 'he' say if I may ask." Artemis making quotations with her hands.

Rob looks back at her holding a smile. "He said you're HOT and not to tell you about it."

Wally may not be able to read lips but he knows what Rob just told her. In a panic Wally jumps out of the car closing the door behind him and runs up to the table of the café.

Rob turns his phone around to show it to Artemis. "Want to see?"

As Artemis leans forward to focus on Rob's phone, a hand comes across the table and grabs Rob's phone blocking the screen. Out of reflex, Artemis uses her right hand and grabs the wrist of the hand blocking the phone. As she looks over she sees a familiar face hiding behind a baseball cap, she uses her left hand and slowly removes the hat revealing thick red hair and drops the cap on the table.

"You?" Artemis looks in disbelief.

"Hi there, Beautiful." Wally's face is now turning the same shade of red as his hair.

Artemis lets his wrist go and stands up facing him and Wally follows her movements. After a quick moment of silence Wally makes the first move.

"Artemis, I know you're probably don't like me right now because I never kept in contact but I tried I really tried but your phone was turned off and mail didn't work, I. . ." Artemis covers his mouth with her hand to get him to shut up then takes it away. Wally nods knowing that he needs to stop talking.

"My dad found us again so me and mom had to move again. I just got back in touch with Dick about a year ago when I started teaching. And yes I was mad at you for leaving like you did but I knew you would have tried to keep in touch."

"I. . . ." Wally stops and takes a breath and swallows the large lump in this throat. "I really sorry, and I really missed you, Arty."

A small smile creeps across her face. "You always were a sucker for blonds."

Wally's joy is shown across his face as he reaches forward taking both her hands in his and pulling her closer to the fence and wraps his arms around her waist hugging her. She in turns does the same around his neck.

While still hugging Artemis speaks up. "Now come sit down so I can bust your balls for leaving us."

Wally pulls away from their hug to answer. "Yes Ma'am."

…

During lunch Wally entertained Artemis and Rob with tales of Hollywood and all the things that come with fame. Stalking paparazzi, not able to go shopping, hell just going to Starbucks was a challenge. So as hours passed and laughter continued Wally set back in his chair basking in all the laughter he caused.

"Well enough about me, how are things here in Gotham?" Wally questions after the laughs died down.

"Well, I went to work at Wayne Enterprises, big surprise there, huh?" Rob cracked a smile. "And I told you about Artemis."

Artemis looks over at Rob and Wally laughs.

"That's right." Wally exclaims while looks at Artemis. "Teacher at Gotham Academy. Does this mean I can call you Ms. Robinson now?"

"Ms. Robinson. What is that suppose to mean." She looks back at him.

"You remember the hot English teacher we had in high school that all the guys loved to lust over." Rob answers her.

"NO! I am NOT Ms. Robinson so don't you even dare try to call me that." Looking back and forth at the two guys in front of her.

"Hey Artemis?" Wally pauses. "What class do you teach?"

Her face turns a slight color red as she sits back crossing her arms. "English. . . . ." she mutters. Both guys break out in laughter.

"Shut it, both of you!" Artemis points to both of them as Rob giggles and Wally takes a drink. Artemis then turns to Wally. "So how long are you visiting?"

Wally's smile slowly fades as he shrugs his shoulders. "I don't really know. This was an impulse trip, I didn't really plan anything." Wally starts to spin his glass on the table, an old habit he had when he's nervous or hiding something.

Artemis picks up on his actions as soon as he starts then looks over to Rob who seems to have missed it as he takes a drink. She looks back over to Wally who is staring at his glass as he turns it. She puts a hand on top of Wally's glass stopping it which causes him to look up at her.

"What is it Wally?" With her actions Rob looks over to see what he missed.

Wally shakes his head and sits back in his chair letting his glass go. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Why should there be anything wrong. Hey, I have an idea, let's go out tonight. My treat. It will be fun."

Artemis lets go of his glass and sighs before speaking up. "Well, if I can finish my papers this afternoon then I should be free tonight."

"Great! Rob what about you?" Wally looks over at him.

"Me? Oh I'm free every night."

"Just never alone, right?" Artemis cuts in.

"And Hollywood said I was bad." Wally also adds. Rob just rolls his eyes at the two.

"So how many women have you dated in Cali?" Artemis crosses her arms as she stares down Wally.

"Well if you listen to the tabloids, somewhere around 20 or so. But truth be told 3, if you count the fake on again off again relationship with my agent, but nothing serious."

"How did the agent thing happen?"

"Well Rob if you must know, after my first movie release I got really depressed and got hammered. When I woke up in my bed Linda, my agent, was walking out of my shower. I freaked at first but when I put the pieces together I realized nothing happened."

Artemis crossed her arms and sits back in disbelief as Rob continues. "Yeah right."

"Seriously dude, if anything did happen that means I was raped because I passed out at a night club. It took Linda, the cab guy, and the door man to drag me into my place and drop me in bed. Plus there are security cameras so I know nothing happened."

This causes a small smile on Artemis.

"And to make it worse, press took pics of me that night so I was constantly reminded how bad of a night that was for me. It's what started my 'bad boy' image in Hollywood." Wally making the quotations with bad boy.

Rob starts to laugh again but is cut off with Artemis. "Guys, if you do want to go out tonight, I need to grade papers so I'm out of here. Call me tonight around seven and we'll meet up." She stands from her chair and waves goodbye. Wally jumps up after her.

"Hey Artie." Artemis stops and turns around to be caught in a hug from Wally. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you again." She returns his hug then steps away but looks back at him as she walks away.

"I think I have some idea on how much. C-ya tonight." She turns and walks away giving a wave. Wally can't help but to stare at her as she walks away biting his lower lip at her.

Rob's voice comes from behind Wally. "You know she's still single."

Wally jumps out of his little fantasy world turning to look at Rob. "Dude, Not Cool." Wally turns back to see no Artemis. He sighs and shakes his head.

…

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Part 2 will follow. Happy New Year