Disclaimer- Do not own Young Justice or any of it's characters.
Wooh, long time no update! Sorry for the lack of stuff, and sorry to inform you it might be a while yet before there's any more stuff. I just don't know, everyone's always so busy, specially with college about to start back up and everything, we're barely on at the same time, let alone have the time to write together. Hopefully we'll continue to occasionally pump out fics though.
I read a message by Geekdad who was asking if we had moved on from YJ. The answer is: DEFINITELY NOT! We're all still big YJ fans and still in fact write fanfictions for the show, just individually. You can check out our individual fanfiction accounts for fics!
Anyway, onward! This was an idea we sort of all came up with. It's been sitting there collecting dust in the docs and I decided to just finish it up so I could post something new for everyone! Enjoy the cuteness!
(for the purposes of this fic, Dinah knows about Captain Marvel secretly being a 10 year-old kid at this point)
o.o.o.o
Written by Ranty, DSBB, Alfwild(oh god I miss her so much), and Chaneldancegrl.
o.o.o.o
"Recognized: Black Canary. 0-13."
Dinah entered the Watch Tower, shrugging her jacket off wearily as she pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed tiredly at her eyes. She loved those kids, but listening to their burdens for hours on end had taken a toll on her nerves, to the point she was beginning to wonder if maybe alcohol was the best choice of medicine for her at the moment.
Her boots tapped across the metal flooring, echoing loudly in the empty space as her eyes drew to the stars beyond the glass like a magnet. She'd been dragged down into depression right along with those youths, had listened to each of their recounts with a dreaded feeling roiling in her stomach like some horrid creature, and knew she could never know the real pain and terror they had faced.
She found herself in the mess hall, being waved over to a table by Captain Marvel.
He began speaking to her in his usual energetic way, before he seemed to notice the slump in her shoulders, because his face took on a concerned expression.
"Rough day with the kids?" he asked. All the "Den Mothers" knew each other's schedules.
Black Canary was unsure how to reply(and also couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the irony of Billy, a ten year old kid, asking her how her day with the kids had gone.). As the Team's acting therapist, she couldn't reveal what had gone on during those sessions. Could she really say anything about it to him at all?
However, if she didn't say anything, she wouldn't be in a position to help anyone. It was quite a predicament to be in. On the one hand, she had promised each Team member that what they told her was strictly confidential, that nothing left that room; on the other hand, now Dinah was weighed down with the combined baggage of their inner turmoil and emotions, just as they had been upon entering their therapy sessions. She felt frazzled, like she needed to get something, anything off her chest.
But there was no way in hell she would betray those kids trust. No way in hell.
Black Canary tapped her fingers indecisively on the table, watched Billy push around the peas piled onto his tray. He shot her a worried look, clearly disturbed by her lack of answer.
"BC?" he asked tentatively.
"A rough day, yes. But I think they're all coming around. Healing just takes time," she told him quietly. The big guy frowned and nodded and went back to poking and prodding at the peas, pushing them into his unfinished mashed potatoes and mixing them together. Dinah smirked.
And then she realized that perhaps what she needed was a good laugh, something to help ease her mind from the days taxing events. She thought for a moment... and something rushed into her mind unbidden, something from two separate therapy sessions that had not escaped the experienced older woman.
She smiled, biting her bottom lip.
No, no, I can't. It's confidential... but as long as I don't say anything directly from the session... I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed Wally and Artemis' behavior around one another.
"You know, there's something interesting I've noticed, recently..." Dinah began, peering over at Billy. He looked over at her with a comically expectant face, abandoning the pea and potato abomination on his plate. She swallowed down the guilt she felt, because this, after all, was not from a therapy session. "Wally and Artemis seem to have a... thing for each other. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed..."
Everyone except Billy Batson, apparently.
The big guy's face suddenly lit up and split into this ridiculous grin, and Black Canary had to bring a hand up to her mouth to keep from laughing at the sight of a man acting like a teenager that had just learned the juiciest gossip straight from the lunch table.
"Really? Do they! Oh my gosh, Wally and Artemis like each other?" he said excitedly, bringing a hand up to his forehead. "Wait, you mean more than just like, right? As in they like like each other?"
The woman simply shrugged, but couldn't help the knowing smile that came to her lips.
"Seems that way."
"Oh-oh man! H-hey!" he called suddenly, having spotted two people walking into the mess, "Flash, Green Arrow, guess what? Wally and Artemis like each other!"
Captain Marvel, who was having nothing short of a field day, leaned back in his chair and laughed. Barry and Ollie were looking amused at his ridiculous antics as they approached.
Dinah was beginning to wonder if this had been such a good idea after all.
"Say what?" Barry inquired, placing his hands on his hips. "Wally and Artemis, you say? Old news, Cap, old news. That boy's been coming to me about her for a long time!" He chuckled knowingly.
"Hmmm... you know, now that you mention it, Artemis does seem to talk about him a lot when we're on patrol," Ollie added, the corners of his mustache tugging down in a frown. He stroked his chin thoughtfully at the very idea, as if he found it strange somehow.
"One could assume it's only a matter of time before something happens," Barry grinned, looking rather happy with the notion. Ollie's nostrils, on the other hand, were flaring dangerously outward as his gaze honed in on the highly amused speedster.
"What? What do you mean something, Barry? What's that nephew of your's going to do to my Artemis?" the blond archer demanded. Dinah rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but catch the way the man was referring to Artemis almost as if she were his daughter. It was kind of sweet, or rather would have been if his mustache weren't in danger of bristling out like a threatened dog's fur. "He puts one hand on her and I'll-"
"Congratulate them!" Barry finished jovially, grabbing Ollie with an arm around the neck. "And in my case collect bet money," he added, winking at them all. "Iris and I have had a little wager going on for some time."
"How long has this been happening!?" Ollie rasped, pushing Barry's arm away. Everyone ignored him.
"A bet? No way!" Billy said, looking ecstatic.
"You want in, Cap?" Barry asked, and Dinah's eyes widened in alarm. Letting a ten year old in on a monetary bet doesn't sound like something the League should be condoning. Fortunately, Ollie interrupted before the secret kid could answer.
"Absolutely not! We are not placing money on when Kid Flash decides to get... get handsy with my protege!"
"Handsy?" Dinah asked him with a bit of deadpan, arching one delicate brow. He crossed his arms while Dinah turned to the Flash, giving him a small smile. "I'll get in on it, Barry."
"Excellent!"
"Dinah!" Ollie spluttered. "You can't actually support this?"
"I can, and I do. Those two kids have quite the relationship ahead of them; there's no way I'm missing out on this," she told him, grinning. She had kind of started this whole mess of a conversation anyway, so she might as well throw caution to the wind. Besides, she had kept her word on keeping the sessions within the privacy of the Cave's lounge. She hadn't broken anything in confiding their crushes to Billy, as she had been suspecting something between the two even before the very telling sessions.
"Come on, Ollie, lighten up! They're kids, they're crushing. It's cute! Don't you remember being a kid and crushing?" Barry asked, nudging the man in the ribs a couple of times. Ollie sighed, running a hand through his beard, and shaking his head.
"Fine. Bet all you want. I'll even throw some money in," he said, surprising them all by digging into one of his pouches and slapping a few bills on the polished table top. Then he stepped away, gingerly pulling a particularly sharp looking arrow from his quiver and sizing it up. "But I'm the one who gets to give that boy a little talk when he makes his move."
Barry's brows furrowed. "Now hold up there-"
And they started to argue back and forth over Wally, whom according to Barry, had already had his embarrassing sex talk with his own parents and doesn't need any extra ribbing from Green Arrow.
Dinah sighed at the two of them, putting her forehead to her hand and shaking her head, smiling.
I hope you're prepared, Wally... she thought to herself while Billy Batson laughed across the table.