Mom (The early years)

First words

The first time Jade had heard it, she was going to change baby Lian's diaper. At this time Lian was only 9 months old. The two had spent the day at home as Roy was busy with League duties since rejoining a few months back. She felt odd about the sudden sense of normality in her life. Seeing Roy much more often, spending the mornings as a family. It was difficult to adjust to but deep down, she was happy to give Lian what she never had with her parents.

It was two in the afternoon and Lian had been taking her usual nap around this time. Jade had gone to check on her to make sure that she was alright. Her history as a Shadow had made her a tiny bit paranoid when it came to her daughter's safety. Lian stared at her mother in awe from the safety of her crib. In that moment, Jade had remembered something that her mother had told her not long ago.

In the eyes of a child, the mother is god...Paula's words echoed in her mind.

"What are you doing up?" Jade smiled as she reached for Lian.

Lian put up her hands as her mother picked her up. She gave Jade a skeptical look that reminded her of Roy when he disapproves of something. Except when Lian did it, it mean something totally different. Jade had smelled an awful stench.

"I think I'd rather be fighting Manta's men than being here right now." Jade wrinkled her nose at the smell. "No more peas for you..."

As she pulled out Lian's diapers and changed her with the swiftest of movements, she noticed the Lian's eyes were fixed upon her.

"What is it my little archer?" Jade cooed.

"Mama..." Lian pointed at her.

She just...Jade was shocked.

Jade's heart ached. But not with pain but rather extreme delight. Tears had formed in the corner of her eyes and she was glad that Roy wasn't around to see her moment of what she considered weakness.

Wanting to be a hero

The next moment was when Lian was ten. Jade and Roy were taking Lian to the new Hall of Justice to see the new exhibit featuring the great "Red Arrow". Roy was talking about it for awhile and Lian refused to sleep the night before believing that if she wasn't up early enough to wake her parents then they wouldn't be able to make the trip. She had her hair in a ponytail similar to her favorite aunt Artemis and wore a Green Arrow t-shirt thanks to "Grandpa Ollie".

As they walked through the Hall, Jade noticed that the new Hall wasn't any different. The new Hall of Justice had looked similar to the old one just with some technological enhancements. They arrived to the Red Arrow exhibit. There was a hologram of Red Arrow in his early days. One of his bows was on display as well as his old "Speedy" hat. Jade scoffed at his display thinking that it was nothing much just to mess with Roy. However Lian marveled at the hologram of her father on display.

"Look! It's Da-I mean Red Arrow!" She quickly corrected herself. She knew that everything had to stay secret for the safety of her and her parents.

"He does look good. Quite handsome." Jade mused.

"Well...You guys are making me blush." Roy chuckled. He had become much more light hearted over the years and Jade had grown fond of easygoing Roy.

"Buuut...We all know who the true beauty here is." Jade posed next to Roy showing her still perfect form after all these years.

"Duh, Mom. It me!" Lian jumped in between them making a pose similar to her mother's.

Roy sighed shaking his head in disbelief. "You definitely have your mother's ego."

After they had spent the day at the Hall. The trio were going to spend the day with Grandpa Ollie and Grandma Dinah to which Dinah hated by the way but never said so around Lian.

As they drove off the heard the one thing that they hoped to never hear.

"Dad, could you teach me to be a hero like you?" Lian asked.

Roy suddenly stopped the car and Jade gave him a look of concern.

"What makes you want to be a hero?" Roy calmly asked.

"I want to be like you and Auntie Artemis. I want to be an archer." Lian quipped.

There was no way Jade was going to allow her daughter to live such a dangerous life. She finally knew how her mother felt towards Artemis but deep in her heart she knew Lian would eventually walk the path. The little girl was adept in gymnastics just like her mother. Her innate accuracy was from her father. She couldn't say yes but she couldn't say no either. Then Roy said something that would make her mad for weeks.

"Ask your mother..." Roy replied.

How dare he? Jade looked at him wide eyed. She didn't want to deny Lian but didn't want to agree to her husband training their ten year old to catch criminals either. Roy had easily gotten out of the situation and he would easily end up on the couch that night as well.

"So can I Mom?" Lian asked after several moments of silence. Jade hadn't answered and she would purposely stay quiet on the subject for a long time. The longer Lian wasn't wearing a mask and shooting arrows, the better.

A/N So I came up with this on the spot and ran with it. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope I did the characters justice. I wanted to show that Jade had a protective side like her mother. It'll probably become a two shot as we need to get to teen Lian and adult Lian. Please review xD