Worthwhile - Young Justice One Shot

When someone wants to know what's on a person's mind a common phrase they may coin is, 'Penny for your thoughts.' Jim would give in a lottery's worth of cash prize money, and at his point if the phrase was legitimately counted he probably already has, to Marie Devereux.

"Marie? Is something wrong?" His girlfriend had just walked in. The strange part about it was how she sighed after dropping her keys atop the breakfast bar counter that connected the kitchen to the living room.

"They're holding another convention for my book series, I was invited to it. They want me to go. Host a panel, make a few announcements, answer a few fan questions, and do a signing."

"What's the problem?"

"The convention is in New Orleans."

"Oh." That was the key phrase to Jim's million dollar question. New Orleans, what happened to Mari e to make her so weary of her hometown? He knew it wasn't family, Marie was adopted; her and her family moved to Washington D.C. when she was fifteen and she spoke to at least one member every other day. It was definitely not a problem of the familial kind he knew that much.

For awhile Jim was convinced it was an ex-boyfriend. Maybe he was abusive or would act very aggressive if in the presence of Marie again after all these years and she was scared. When he confronted her on his suspicions she smiled at the way his chest swelled and he stood as if to intimidate the imaginary opponent to protect his girlfriend. She chuckled dryly and told him to calm down her big, tough guardian.

Jim's worried head stop spiraling and rested easily for a few days until another idea weaseled its way to his frontal lobe and throbbed to the snapping point of a dizzying bongo solo. He then thought maybe it was an ex-boyfriend with whom she had had a bad and tearful break up with that she still hadn't recovered from. Confronting her again Marie told him that he was the only man in her life next to her father and confirmed that if Jim's theory was the case it would not stop her from returning to her hometown which she loved with all her heart. So Jim was sent back to the drawing board to speculate for a few months. Now the Enola Gay had come around and dropped the atomic bomb and Jim wasn't quite sure how to go about it.

"Have you told your family?"

"Yes…"

"And what did they say?"

"They told me to do what I think is best."

"Do you have to go?"

"If I don't I could kiss my career goodbye." Worse than metaphorically being rubble on the floor after a hard and world crushing blow, Marie was more the left in ruins type. As you walked through her world after the attack you could see buildings demolished but still trying hard to stay up on shivering support beams that would not last. You could see the silhouette of what was an organized and smoothly running community that was now lost to her mind's force field. "What am I going to do Jim?"

"It's alright," Jim cooed. He made his way to her from the couch and hugged her. This was the first time she had ever asked him of anything regarding New Orleans.

"I know I have to go, I've got no choice but…" She wasn't crying but the helpless look on her face brought out both the stereotypical male and the ex-hero out in Jim. His grip on her shoulders tightened and his unrelenting eye to eye gaze was unwavering.

"Do you really hate New Orleans that much?"

"No... I'm just scared that I'll see something again." That was a start. It was the closest thing to a hint that Jim was going to get.

"Hey." Jim pursed his lips and spoke in a serious tone. "It's okay. Go to New Orleans, everything is going to be just fine."

"How do you know that?" She was, of course, skeptical.

"Because I'm going with you." Jim smiled at Marie's stunned expression. She was at a lost for words, which for an author Jim thought was near impossible.

"What?"

"I'll make sure nothing happens. You know you don't have to do this alone." The last sentence was a quote from Marie. It was the exact thing she told Jim when he found out he was a clone and his whole life was a lie and she refused to leave him.

After a good full minute of silence thick enough even a falling boulder could not dent and reckoning Marie hugged him and replied. Her voice was muffled by the hug but was still intelligible. "Thank you so much."

"It's nothing, really. You know I'll always be there for you."

"Thank you." She merely repeated herself.