Downtime

                                    

                                          
        After the mission Artemis was unusually quiet. She sat on a green couch isolated from the rest of us who were in the kitchen celebrating a job well-done. Megan had successfully made some peanut butter cookies and we were happily discussing the mission. I hadn't told anyone that I had been the one to give Wally mouth-to-mouth; I just let Megan take the credit. I tried not to be sad at the fact that some of my own trophies were destroyed at the school.
                          
        I laughed loudly at Wally's inaccurate description of the size of the men he fought against and the sound effects that came with his story. I seemed to be the only one who stole glances towards Artemis, feeling bad for the words Wally snapped at her- "Notice? We got ours." I knew Artemis; if something got away from her there was a good reason.
"Cookie?" Megan offered me a blue plate piled high with golden brown cookies. 
"No thank you." I said politely as I pushed the plate away. She gave me a hurt look and nodded sadly.
"Sorry. I just don't eat junk food." I added quickly to save her feelings.
"Why?" Superboy had jumped into our conversation.
"It's not like you'll get fat. You do so much exercise." Megan continued. I laughed weekly as I tried to avoid speaking out the rant that was forming in my head, so instead I shrugged my shoulders and gave Artemis another glance.
                          
      "Health-nut." I heard Wally mutter as he stuffed a two cookies, whole, into his mouth. I rolled my eyes and let out an aggravated sigh.
"Annnnd.... Here we go." Robin said knowingly while shaking his head and leaning backward onto the counter.
"Sorry that I wasn't grown in a test tube with a six pack already." I pointed at SB with my index, "Or that I don't have a hyper-metabolism," I jerked my head towards Wally, "And that I can't use my Martian mind powers to morph my body into the perfect shape." I hissed at Megan who had began to sink into the corner, "In fact, I'm also sorry that I'm a female and keeping my body in shape is a little bit harder." I finished up eyeing Aqualad and Robin. 
                          
      They all laughed, including me, at my little outburst. I rolled my eyes playfully as a grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. Artemis gave us a longing look; Wally quickly gave her a disapproving and unwelcomed one. I elbowed Wally in the ribs and gave him an angry look.
"Quit." I said quietly.
"Why should I?" He retaliated, eyeing her as she turned back to the TV that was off.
"Aren't you usually flirting with pretty girls like her?" I asked just as Wally took another while cookie into his mouth. His mouth fell open and chunks of cookie fell onto the floor. I took a step back with a disgusted look on my face as he finished chewing and swallowing the remaining cookie in his mouth.
                          
      He swallowed slowly and gave me a sideways look.
"She's not pretty." He said nonchalantly as he jumped up to sit on the counter. I snorted at his answer.
"She looks just like me." I whisper shouted. He gave me a look of carelessness. I huffed as I told Robin and Wally "I'm gonna talk to Artemis." 
                          
       I sat down next to Artemis on the soft couch. She gave me a glance then returned her eyes to her lap. It took me a couple tries to find the right words but I finally settled on "This isn't you." She looked up at me sadly.
"What isn't me?"
"Well for one you would've never let her get away, I know you had Cheshire, but for some reason you let her go. And second you're not the mopey type." I nudged her shoulder affectionately with my forearm. She let out a heavy sigh.
"Jade." 
"What?"
"Cheshire is Jade." She said in a low, shaky voice. My eyes widened and my lips parted, I probably looked like a fish gaping for air by now.
"You mean.... Cheshire is our sister?" She nodded silently.
"She threatened to tell the team everything, including you're identity. Which I have no idea how she knows. S-so I let her go." She explained. I began to chew on the inside of my cheek nervously.
                          
         "Maybe it was just a bluff." She shook her head at my suggestion, tightening her ponytail. 
"If it was a bluff how come she picked you specifically? She clearly knew there was a connection." She clutched her head with her hand, "This is all my fault." I grabbed both her hands and made her loon at me. 
"No. It's not. C'mon." I began to stand her up and lead her to the kitchen, "You completed this mission just as much as the rest of the team." Artemis gave me a grateful look at my kind words, taking a cookie out of Wally's hand just as he was about to eat it.
"Thanks, Baywatch." She chuckled. 
"Now that's more like you." I laughed as Wally tried to take the cookie back from her. She just raised it in the air as he super sped for it. When he ran into a cupboard she brought her hand down and took a triumphant bite.
                          
        Robin came over to me and draped an arm around my shoulder's, giving me a smirk as if waiting for me to notice something. I just stared at him before realizing what it was.
"Oh my gosh! Robin!" I cheered happily, "You're taller than me!" Everyone laughed as if it was the dumbest thing to be haply about. I giggled as he pulled me closer into his side and ruffled my hand with my other hand.
                          
      "I am very happy for you Robin. You are no longer the smallest one on the team." Aqualad teased, I face-palmed at the fact that I was, now, the smallest one. 
"Celebratory cookie?" I asked Robin as I picked up two cookies and handed him one. He thanked me and we touched them together like wine glasses before taking a synchronized bite.
                          
     A/N: You guys are the best. Thank you for all the reads. I'll update really soon with the a Gotham City patrol and then hopefully Failsafe. But trust me. It's gonna start getting really good, plz keep commenting- it really helps. XOXO😘😘😘