How Can We

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

"Artemis."

"Jade." Artemis sat down across from her sister. "You wanted to talk."

"I think there's still much we need to discuss." And that was something they could both agree on.

Artemis cleared her throat, starting to feel uncomfortable. "What do you want to talk about first?" She was at a loss for words. Where to start? With the amount they needed to discuss, they would be there for hours. Artemis was starting to regret not ordering herself a drink before. She could go for some coffee.

"Why don't we start with that boyfriend of yours? I never thought redheads would be your type." Her sister commented casually as if they were well involved in each other's lives. It made Artemis sick.

"Let's stop pretending we're so close, I haven't seen or heard from you in 10 years and you come waltzing back in ready to exchange details about our everyday lives that you weren't a part of. And for your information, he's not my boyfriend." Wally wouldn't want to be with someone so broken and damaged.

"You're right." Jade shocked her sister by saying this. "I haven't been there for you. I thought I was making the right decision at the time, I wanted to protect you." Just as Artemis thought they were making progress her sister had to keep going and ruin it all.

"How would leaving protect me? And from what?" No matter where she went, she was always left with more questions than answers. The very fact was infuriating Artemis. It was like there was no escape.

"Where do you want to start then if you are being so difficult?"

"How about from the beginning." If anything she was going to get her answers by seeking out the start, a place Artemis' mind ventured in her nightmares, and a memory she desperately tried to suppress. Despite her hard efforts, she could still remember every detail from that night, and here she was willing attempting to relive them.

*******

10 years ago

Artemis was sitting on her bed, her favorite stuffed bear tightly clutched to her chest. It was ratty and seen better days, and her only source of comfort at the moment. Sitting in her overalls, her whole world came crashing down.

"Please, please, please don't go." Artemis begged.

"I'm sorry sis, but I can't stay here." Jade told her younger sister as she began packing her belongings into her duffle bag.

"We have to keep this family from falling apart."

"We're too late for that." Jade mumbled before walking into the bathroom to grab her toothbrush. It was then that Artemis knew she truly lost her sister.

*******

"Our parents were getting divorced and you left with dad after all he did, to all of us! Is that the reason why you can't see mom because of the years of guilt of choosing him over her?" Her voice gradually getting louder.

Jade shook her head. "I was doing what I thought would be best for you. I was trying to protect you."

"So you keep saying." Artemis said bitterly. "Yet you won't tell me how." She didn't understand how leaving her younger sister would be a form of protection, and she was starting to suspect that it was a load of bull****.

"I had no other choice." Jade hissed, trying to draw attention away from themselves. Artemis scoffed, too angry to realize how many stares they were getting.

"You had a lot of choices, and you made the wrong one." She was beginning to regret coming here in the first place, all it did was make her angry. She started to stand up in an effort to leave, when Jade darted forward and grabbed her arm.

"Let me explain."

"So you can give me half-***ed answers each time and no concrete answers." Artemis shook her head, she was done with this.

"I'll tell you everything, just not here." Jade looked around suspiciously. Artemis sighed, just one more chance she told herself.

"Fine, lead the way."

******

Jade led them to a park nearby, her daughter bouncing along her hip as they walked around. "What do you remember about dad?"

"I've spent years trying to rid myself of his memory." But to no avail. "Unfortunately I still remember everything. I remember each scar, and bruise, and I remember mom's accident, and the thing I remember most specifically was you leaving home with our abuser, willingly." Artemis tried to keep her voice calm and steady, but it was hard to keep her emotions in check. A trip down memory lane brought out emotions she tried to suppress for years. She should have known she would have gotten emotional.

"Not as willing as you remember." Artemis looked at her in shock. "Memories can be deceiving little sis. I had to go with Dad, he threatened you and mom if I didn't. She was already in the ICU after the latest accident, and you were still young. He would have gone after you guys regardless. So we made a deal, I would go with him to keep the rest of you safe from his hand. I stayed with him for a few years, and ran away as soon as I turned 16, and changed my last name to mom's as a reminder."

"Originally I planned on coming back to Gotham, but I knew that would be the first place he'd look for me. Instead I went to Metropolis for a while and then to Keystone where I met Roy. We didn't get along at first, and after a few years of being together we moved to Central City, and finally here where he got a job at GA. I found out I was pregnant about a year after we moved here. I wanted to keep an eye on you and mom, while I worked up the courage to face you again."

"How can I be sure you're telling the truth? What was it you used to always say, in this family every girl for themselves."

"I was a foolish and naive teenager, is that what you want to hear Artemis? We've all said and done things we're not proud of." Her older sister snapped at her.

"Why deny your daughter the right to a family?" Artemis asked her.

"As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. And not just all because I was too much of a coward to introduce you too, but because I think Dad is still after me. He won't give up that easily, and I'm scared no matter where I am I won't be safe."

"Why don't you just file a restraining order on him?"

"Like he would stop at the law, we both know him too well."

"What are we going to do?" That was the million dollar question

A/N: I was hoping to have this up by yesterday but I was so busy and exhausted. The chapter is pretty short and I'm unhappy with it, so I might change it later on. I'm just exhausted and work is piling up and I'm going to leave this here. 

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