Artemis & Apollo

Chapter Eighteen

Arty's Outfit 

Megan's outfit 

Zatanna's outfit 

Everyone else's looks however you want, but I really liked Megan's and Zee's and they weren't chosen for the girl's night out chapter, sooo... this chapter's for BatMac, sorry that you had to wait so long, I hope that you like it!!!

"Hey, Wally," Artemis said with a smile.

"Hey, Art! How are you?"

"As good as can be expected after last night."

"Well, at least today is your birthday. Your Sweet Sixteen! Apollo even decided not to have his party here so the spotlight could be on you."

"I told him not to do that. It's his birthday, too."

"Yeah, well, he's a guy, and us dudes don't get Sweet Sixteens. This is the only time that you'll ever have one. Just focus on having fun."

"I never thought that I'd have, like, an actual Sweet Sixteen party. So this is pretty cool. Better than any birthday that I've ever had, and we haven't even started eating yet. Just seeing all the food, and presents, and cake... well, I was lucky to get a present on my birthday, now look at all of the ones that I'm getting this year. I've next to never had an actual cake before either, and the best birthday meals I've ever had are the ones mom made me and Apollo when my family all actually lived together. My birthdays have never been very good."

"What's the most in-the-middle birthday that you've had? Not terrible, but certainly not great, either."

Artemis thought about it. "Probably my tenth birthday."

"What happened then?"

-Flashback- (Arty talking to Wally)

"So, I woke up to see Apollo bouncing on my bed. 'C'mon, Art! Wake up, wake up, wake up!' I remember him saying.

'Why?' I groaned. It was 5 o'clock in the morning, early even for us.

'It's our birthday, silly! We're 10 now! Double digits! Just like Jade and Andy!' I vividly remember Polly saying this, I don't know for sure why.

'So why are you waking me up at five o'clock in the morning? I'm supposed to get up before the crack of dawn because it's our birthday?'

'Yes. Exactly. Glad that we're on the same page here.' I remember that I shoved him off my bed for that comment. I told him to go away. And he did, albeit reluctantly.

I also remember that when I woke up again, I was tied to a chair in the middle of the forest. There was a backpack on the ground in front of me. It would seem cruel to anyone else, but these surprise survival-camping things, Apollo and I loved them. I easily wiggled out of the ropes and looked through my bag. I found all of the necessary things in there. Plus extra snacks and a birthday card and extra supplies, which was one of the best presents Dad has ever given me.

I found Polly and Andy, and we went hunting, and all in all, it was a pretty good birthday until Dad came in that night and attacked us. He had to take us to the hospital to get our injuries looked at. That wasn't fun. Apollo and I got treated like royalty though, since it was our birthday, so I guess that that was pretty nice."

-End of flashback-

"That's horrible."

Arty shrugged. "Not as bad as some birthdays that we've had."

"I know. How about a new topic? I still can't get over the fact that you and Apollo's birthday is July 7, which is the-"

"Same birthday that the mythical Artemis and Apollo had? Yeah, I hear that one a lot."

Wally laughed. "Ya know, Arty, you're going to have to tell everyone about what happened last night."

"I will. Eventually. Emphasis on eventually. I'm not comfortable with that yet."

"Ok. As far as they'll know, you broke up with your now ex, and we got together."

"That'll psych the girls."

"I'm sure that it will. Now," He stood up and grabbed Arty's hand, pulling her off of the couch she had in her room, and carrying her bridal style into the living room. "Let's party!"

Artemis laughed. They ate cake and had fun. It was definitely the best birthday party that she'd ever had. Apollo talked to her, saying that he'd just wanted to have a party with his old friends (plus Kaldur, minus Ronnie, duh).

After, the twins just sat together, Artemis leaning against Apollo, his arm around her. "You're the best brother ever. I don't deserve you," She said quietly.

Apollo shook his head. "Yes, you do, Art. If either of us doesn't deserve the other, it's me. I did nothing to deserve a sister as brave, awesome strong, sweet, stubborn, unique and beautiful as you. And I got you anyway. You're the best, Art. And I love you so freaking much."

"Well, I'm not most of those things, but you are," Artemis told her brother.

"Well, the thing is, we're people. We tend to play ourselves down. Let's agree that we're both right about each other and wrong about ourselves. Deal?"

Artemis smiled and closed her eyes. "Deal."