Sparks Fly [Book Two in the "Fire And Lighting" Series]

Chapter Forty-Seven- Leaving

July 4, 2016. 21:16.
Watchtower.
~~Emma~~

"You're what?" I asked, not quite yelling. I hugged myself tightly, as I had been ever since Willow ran away from me. For some reason, I was just feeling cold all the time, and keeping my arms this close subdued the chill a little bit, and made me feel slightly better.

"I'm not leaving, just taking a leave of absence for a while. You can do everything I can, if not better. And if you need anything, you know Barbra's more than willing to step up."

I made to protest, but Rick cut me off.

"I need a break, Emma. You, me, Kaldur, and Wally, we founded this team. Without him..."

I was quiet, knowing somewhat how he felt. But I could never leave this team, not when I'd given it my all, not with all the new recruits and their trust in me. I couldn't leave Mara ad Tim.

But I couldn't loose anyone else, either.

"...I...I can't loose another brother! Wally just left without saying goodbye, and Willow-"

"And you won't loose me, Emma." Rick cut me off, pulling me into a tight hug. "That's a promise."

I looked up at him, pleading with him. "I can't..."

Rick put his strong but gentle hands on my shoulders. "Yes. Yes you can. You've made it this far, you can make it on to forever."

I nodded numbly, taking in the words. Suddenly, I shot my arms out and hugged him tightly, much tighter than he had hugged me.

"Be safe," I whispered to my baby brother, running my hands through his hair as he placed his hand on the back of my head.

"I'll miss you, Emms," was his whispered reply.

Then, true to the man who trained us both so well, Richard disappeared. Heading for something new, leaving the rest of us behind.

I stared down at my feet, trying to tell my body to move, to do something, anything, to forget what I was loosing. Suddenly, I found myself running, and somehow I found myself in the memorial garden.

Tim and Cassie stood with newest team member Virgil by Jason's holographic statue. Bart and Bridget, newly released from the Med Wing, stood with Artemis, looking up at Wally's statue. I gave a sad smile at Tim and Cassie's joined hands and at how much Bart looked like Wally in his new Kid Flash uniform.

"Life is short." I whispered to myself.

M'gann and Connor were talking beneath a tree, eyeing Cassie and Tim like I was. Tammy walked over to her fellow Runaway, Virgil, looking slightly red. Gar, Rachel, and Terra chased each other around the trunk of the tree where Jaime and Sarah were perched, trying to have a private conversation.

It seemed the only place I could get some quiet was Tula's statue, as Jaime and Sarah's tree was a bit too close to Ted Kord, the previous Blue Beetle's, statue for my liking.

I looked up into her fiery eyes and red hair, both dimmed by the glow of the hologram.

What was I doing here? This only brought me more deeper into my feeling of being alone. Jason was gone, Tula was gone, and Wally was gone.

I dashed over to the huge window surrounding the top floor of the Watchtower and placed a hand against my reflection. The chill of space bit through my glove and I shivered, but left my hand there.