Chapter One

Watchtower

August 20

"Well…she says she doesn't remember anything." Batgirl replied to Nightwing.

Lavender's stuck on an island in the middle of the ocean, and she's scared. But not as scared as when strange people appeared, trying to take her away, people who are her friends but she doesn't remember them.

"What do you mean she doesn't remember? She must remember something!" Blue started, Iridiven stopping him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Batgirl, does she remember anything? Anything at all?" Iridiven questioned in a calming tone.

"No, nothing. Sorry, Iridiven…"

"Uh…Batgirl?"

"One second, guys." Batgirl turned around, Wondergirl in the entrance of the bio-ship. They were inaudible for a moment before, "What?"

"Batgirl?" Aqualad questioned, getting her attention.

"I gotta go. Lavender ran into the trees and the squad lost her. I'll report back later. Batgirl out."

Then the screen went black. Blue walked over to a chair, falling back on it as the unbelievable rushed over him. The one girl he loved was alive this entire time, but she didn't remember anything. She didn't remember him, or any of the team…And she was slippery to catch as it was.

"Jaime…?" Lupita chirped next to her brother. "Are you alright?"

"…I don't know, Mirabella."

"Are you going home?"

"No, not right now. I'll meet you later, okay?"

"Okay…Should I tell mami what happened?"

"No, I'll explain when I come home." Then he looked up at her, forcing a smile. "Really, I'll be okay. Go home or with Garfield if you want. Okay?"

"Okay…" She kissed him on the cheek, like a sister, and left with Garfield.

Last month, Jaime sat down with his parents. He couldn't keep his life a secret from them anymore, he just…couldn't do that to them anymore. Sitting his parents down, he explained it the best he could.

El Paso

Last Month (July 8)

"Jaime, what is this all about?" Mrs. Reyes questioned, sitting on the couch with her husband.

Jaime sat in the chair adjacent from the couch, trying to figure out how to explain this in the most reasonable why possible.

"Mom…Dad…I—I need to tell you something. It's important and I don't want to keep it a secret anymore."

"What is this all about, mijo?" Bianca questioned once more.

In a firm, yet gentle tone Jaime had retold the last seven months of his secret life with the team. Explaining the truth of where he found Mirabella, and about Lavender, who she really was. The story seemed so unbelievable, yet so believable all at the same time; Jaime's parents didn't know what to make of it exactly. They listened closely, waiting for the retelling to be finished. When Jaime began with the Reach, his parents listened closer, not expecting it to follow with the aliens they knew were just taken off Earth. Jaime's voice was becoming a bit harsher as he talked, it became the worst when he explained the ending of the Reach invasion, when Lavender gave her life for the planet and saved her older sister from dying.

"And I tried so hard to catch her, to take the energy on myself, but it was too late. She had already disappeared. And now…Lavender's gone forever." Jaime finished, trying his best to keep his voice from cracking, failing horribly.

"Are you sure any of it is true?"

"Papi, I have a scarab stuck on my spine! Of course I'm sure it's true!" Jaime shouted, standing up, before realizing what he had done and sitting back down. "I'm sorry. I'm still upset about Lavender, I guess."

Mrs. Reyes walked over, hugging her son closely.

"I'm so sorry, mijo." She felt around his back, feeling the bump of the scarab. "I am so, so sorry."

"Thanks, mami." They released. "Um…Now that you know, Mirabella wanted to know if she can come home again. She misses you a lot."

"Oh, of course she can." Mr. Reyes replied.

"Good, because…she's outside waiting." Jaime explained, walking over to the front door. Opening it, Mirabella walked inside, wearing a dress, leggings, and flats. "This is Mirabella now."

"Oh, mija, look at you. You're so adorable." Bianca said, walking over.

"Do you really think so?" Mirabella questioned in surprise.

"Yes, we both do. Come here, Mirabella." Mr. Reyes said, hugging her.

It didn't take long for them to realize that Garfield had walked inside as well. Mr. Reyes released Mirabella, trying to hide her behind himself.

"Who is that?" He questioned.

"This is Garfield Logan; he's on the team with Mirabella and me." Jaime replied.

Garfield stuttered as he spoke, "Hi…I…um…I've been—Uh…"

Mirabella walked over, holding his hand in both of hers.

"I've been dating Garfield for a while now. He's my boyfriend."

"Well then, come on in, Garfield."

"Thank you, Mrs. Reyes."

Mirabella smiled softly, happy with the acceptance of her adoptive parents of herself and her boyfriend. And Jaime was happy as well, especially since everything went better than planned with his parents.

Solaluna Island

August 21, 00:03

Lavender had been running for a long while, climbing into a tree to rest. The squad ran underneath her before Lavender leaned back on the limb on the tree and sighed heavily in a short relief.

The silence ran short as someone above her said, "Nice hiding place."

"Ah!" Robin scared her, Lavender almost falling out of the tree if she didn't balance herself. "Stay away from me!" She screamed, starting to climb down.

"Lavender, wait." Robin said, starting down after her.

"How do you know that name?" Lavender questioned, defense tuned her voice.

"Lav…you told us. We're your friends."

Lavender looked up at him, trying to remember.

"I don't remember you..."

"Figures…" Robin chuckled.

"…but, you do seem familiar somehow."

Robin smiled softly, climbing down with Lavender.

"Aren't you gonna run?" He asked.

"No…I feel like…I can trust you." Lavender said, fear lacing her every word.

"And you can. My name's Robin…but you and the team have started calling me Tim."

"Tim? Tim Drake…" Lavender replied in a wondering distance of mind.

"That's it. See? You're starting to remember."

"I…uh…I was just saying a name that came to my mind. I don't have a face."

"Robin!"

"Wondergirl, we're over here!"

Lavender hid behind him, scared.

"It's okay, Lavender. They're friends. They won't hurt you."

"Robin…you found her." Batgirl said, almost questioning her sight.

"Yeah, but she's scared. I got her to remember my name…I think."

"Tim…?" Lavender whimpered.

"It's okay, Lavender. You don't have to be afraid."

Lavender started to slowly come from behind Robin, still holding herself as if she would've fell to pieces.

"Lavender…my name's Barbara. Do you…remember that name?"

Lavender thought for a second, thinking hard, but when she looked back up at Batgirl. She shook her head in disappointment of herself.

"I'm sorry. I…don't remember much of anything really." She clamped herself around Robin's arm in fear.

"But…you remember Robin?" Wondergirl questioned.

"I think so."

"She stayed at the mansion with Nightwing and me a few months ago." Robin added.

"I did?" Then Lavender thought about it, trying to remember. After a moment, the memory came back to her in little blips, flashing before herself. Then Lavender stood straight up, staring at Robin. "I did stay with you. I remember."

"You remember him?"

"Yeah…I remember staying at the mansion because I was so stressed about…Um…Stressed about…Huh? I guess I don't totally remember."

"It's okay. You don't have to remember right now. But, Lavender, we need to get you off this island and back home." Superboy replied.

"Home? I—I don't want to go home! You can't make me!"

Lavender started to run, but M'Gann mentally pulled her back, Wondergirl catching her in a hug.

"Not that home, Lav! Not that home!" Cassie shouted over Lavender's slight screams of trying to get free.

"I want my mom!" Lavender shouted, sobbing.

Lavender fell to her knees, Cassie following with her arms still around her friend.

Stroking Lavender's hair, Cassie soothed, "I know, Lavender. I know. You're safe."

Watchtower

August 21, 0725

"Recognized: Robin-B20, Wondergirl-B21, Batgirl-B16, Superboy-B04, Miss Martian-B05, Venus-B25." The computer rang.

"Wow…that is a really weird feeling." Lavender said before someone practically tackled her into a hug.

"Lavender, you had us so worried."

It was Aster, relieved that her sister was alive. But Lavender was scared by it, still not remembering her life completely. She pushed away from Aster, falling back on the floor.

"Lavender, it's okay." Aster soothed, kneeling on the ground. "You don't remember me…do you?"

Lavender looked up at Robin, shaking her head as she turned back to Aster.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I don't." Lavender's voice almost like shattered glass.

"My name is Aster. We were like sisters. We were captured by the same people, the Reach. Do you remember any of that?"

Lavender closed her eyes, trying to remember. As she was about to shake her head, Blue Beetle walked over and Lavender's head hurt.

"Lavender? Lavender, what's wrong?" Cassie questioned.

Lavender's memory started coming back; only it was in blips of when Blue Beetle betrayed the team, only those parts were in her memory. Looking back up, she screamed.

"Get him away from me! Get away!" She continued shouting as Cassie and Aster tried, with no luck, to calm her.

Kid Flash and Mirabella walked out of the room with him, Lavender sobbing into Aster's shirt. Out in the hall, Blue kicked the wall, a small dent forming.

"Jaime!" Mirabella shouted, hugging him. "Jaime, it's okay. She doesn't remember right now. But give her time and she will."

Blue walked a little ways away from his friends, punching the wall without a dent forming this time.

"She thinks I'm a monster! She remembered me betraying you guys! How could I let this happen? How could I let her die only to come back and not remember anything?" He leaned against the wall hard, sliding down it, holding his head. "Anything…Everything that we were together…it's all gone. She won't remember."

Bart walked over, sitting next to his friend on the floor.

"Hey…it's all crash. So, Lavender doesn't remember now, she will…in time. She just needs some help, is all."

Blue didn't feel any better. He really just wanted to hug Lavender again, he missed her so much after she disappeared back in June. Mirabella felt bad, she missed Lavender too, but she didn't as much as Blue did. Then she walked over, kneeling down in front of her brother.

"Jaime…she remembers Blue Beetle as evil, but I wonder if she remembers Jaime Reyes was under that armor."

"Mirabella, what are you talking about?" Blue questioned.

"I'm talking about Lavender. What if she doesn't remember you-you, the one under Khaji's armor?" Mirabella questioned.

"You mean, walk in there as Jaime Reyes, not Blue Beetle?"

"That's right. Come on." Mirabella said, standing up with one of his hands in both of hers.

"I just don't know, Mirabella."

"The worst she can do is scream at you again. Please, Jaime?"

He thought about this for a moment.

"The Lupita is correct, Jaime Reyes. Suggested tactic: follow the Lupita's suggestion."

Blue stood up, his armor pulling apart and folding away.

"Let's try it." Jaime said, following the two back inside.

"We thought you-"

"Went to get Jaime, yeah. Yeah, he came in just as Blue was leaving." Bart replied, interrupting Aster.

"But…" Then Mirabella rushed over, whispering the plan into Aster's ear. "Oh, okay. Yeah, it's nice to see you, Jaime."

"Aster…?" Lavender's voice was quiet and almost too soft to understand, but Aster understood her name perfectly. "Aster, who is this?"

"Lavender, this is Jaime Reyes. You two were…uh…"

"We dated a little." Jaime finished, kneeling in front of her.

"We did? I'm sorry, I don't remember."

"It's okay. I understand."

"I really wish I could remember, I just…can't. I really am sorry."Jaime gently touched her face, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. Lavender closed her eyes as she felt his hand. "I know that touch."

"You remember?" Mirabella questioned.

"I remember the feeling." She hugged Jaime close. "It must be you."

He hugged her back, happy she was there, holding her again. She started sobbing, Jaime brushing her hair with his hand gently.

"It's okay, Lavender. It's okay."

Central City

August 21, 1035

A peaceful morning of music practice was interrupted by the hard strum of the guitar echoing throughout the household. The beautiful piano stopped as the strum continued to dull down to nothing.

"Bart? Is everything okay?" Aster questioned.

"No!" Bart snapped, standing up.

"Bart, what's the matter? You were doing so well." Aster complemented, catching his hand.

"Uh…it's this whole school thing. I just don't think I'm ready for it yet."

"Is that all it is?" Aster smiled, standing up with Bart's hands in hers. "Bart, it'll be okay. I'm going to the same school. Wally even said he'd bring us in on the first day since that's where he went."

Bart slipped from Aster, only to speed-walk away to his room.

"Bart? Bart, wait…" Aster groaned as she heard the door of his bedroom close and lock. "Great job, Aster…" Knock, knock, knock… Aster opened the door, greeted by, "Oh, hey Artemis."

"Hey, Aster. How is everything?" Artemis greeted, walking inside.

"Not…so good." Aster replied, accidently closing the door on someone. "Oops…so sorry, Mr. Allen."

"It's okay. And Aster, I keep telling you, you're family. Call me Barry."

"Right…sorry, M—Barry. Barry, right, sorry...again."

"It's okay. Hey, where's my grandkid?"

"Up in his room." Aster sighed.

Following Barry inside was Iris, with help from Wally.

"What's Bart doing upstairs?" Iris questioned, sitting on the couch.

"Uh…We were playing music, then he was upset, and he said it was about starting school, but…I don't know." Aster explained, sitting on the piano bench.

"Huh…What happened this morning?"

"Nothing out of—Oh, didn't you hear?"

"I didn't tell them yet. And Nightwing told Batman not to tell the League yet, so Barry won't know." Artemis replied.

"Know what?" Jay questioned, walking in with Joan.

"Well, you know the loss of Lavender hit everyone hard two months ago?"

"Of course. We were all upset to hear about it, she was a good kid." Barry replied.

"She is a good kid." Aster corrected.

"Aster, Lavender's gone." Wally said.

"No…Zatanna met with her old friend, finding out Lavender was stranded on the island for the past two months. A team went to save her this morning only to find out that…well…she has no memories. The last thing she remembers is running from the cave her father, Deathstroke, trapped her in and then someone capturing her, Black Beetle."

Nobody said a word, all too shocked by the news. It was a different story in Bart's locked bedroom. Sitting against the door, Bart had thrown his head back in an attempt to keep the tears from coming. Sadly, it failed but he kept his head back until he something caught his eye in his slightly opened closet. Walking over, tears being wiped away, Bart opened the closet. On a hanger was his Kid Flash uniform, which was going to need a new place when the school year began. Bart ripped it off its hanger, throwing the yellow and red disguise on the ground in anger.

"This is all your fault! You stupid…" Bart paused, only to punch the mirrored door of his closet, shattering as his fist made contact. "Ah!" Bart screamed in pain, looking at his broken reflection on his knees afterward.

His memory trailed back to late June, a week after Lavender had sacrificed herself for the Earth.

June 29:

Aster watched silently as Bart examined himself in the mirror of his closet. He hadn't noticed her in the doorway yet, smiling thoughtfully at him. Bart was checking himself out in the mirror as he was dressed in the Kid Flash uniform. Twisting his body and craning his neck, and checking around himself in every possible angle, Bart was adorable to Aster. Bart continued not to notice her as he adjusted the red gloves, refastening the boot straps, tightening the new goggles, yet still unsatisfied with himself.

Aster walked over gingerly, "You look great, Bart."

"Oh, Aster!" Bart's face shot up, suddenly turning red under his mask. "Um…thanks."

Bart turned away from her, fiddling with the snack compartment's screws. Aster walked over, noticing how different Bart actually looked in his new disguise. Older, taller…they were almost the same height! Just a few months ago, Aster was standing over him at a foot taller, but not they were almost the same height. Bart's once scrawny frame filled out with lean, firm muscle. His face, once bright and childish, had now shaped into a young man, and suddenly Aster was panged with regret. She had spent so much time trying to help her sisters and running from her past not to notice the subtle changes in Bart's appearance, but the new suit made every one of them glaringly obvious. It kind of made Aster feel she missed out something so important. She walked behind him, resting her chin into his soft hair.

"What's wrong?" Aster questioned, almost muffled by the hair. "I thought you wanted to be Kid Flash."

"What I wanted?" Bart repeated in total disbelief, looking up at Aster's eyes in the mirror. "How about everything I've always dreamed about? Being by the Flash's side, having Wally's approval, being part of…" He trailed off, but Aster knew exactly what the ending of that sentence was.

"Being part of a family?" Aster didn't need to question, but she did anyways.

"I don't know!" He shouted, Aster stepping back.

"Bart…" She walked back over, after regaining herself, resting her hands on his shoulders. "What don't you know?"

Bart turned, hugging Aster tightly.

Aster prodded again, "What don't you know?"

Bart shrugged under her, releasing from the hug and extended his arms in an attempt to scan himself.

"This…Is it—I don't know—Is it me, Aster? Truly me?"

Aster smiled softly again, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in the auburn hair.

Muffled, Aster replied, "Of course it is, Bart. It has always been who you are."

August 21

Bart was broken from the memory as Artemis broke open the locked door. He didn't flinch as he continued his staring contest with his own reflection and holding his bleeding hand.

"Bart?" Aster chirped, making Bart move. She walked over, kneeling next to him. "Bart, what's really going on?"

Bart didn't respond, he just sat there still staring at his reflection in the broken glass.

"Bart? Did I do something? Did I…say something?" Aster questioned.

"I'm just…" He looked behind him, at his family.

Aster looked at them as well, understanding. She stood up, walking over to them.

"Could we have a moment, please? I'll talk to him, okay?" Aster said, everyone leaving them alone. Closing the door, "Now, what were you going to say?"

C19G13M: That's chapter one! And credit to spockapella for the use of two of their stories. Back to You (July 8th part) and Legacy (June 29th part). Continue to see what happens!