In between a Girl and a Woman is a Lady

Standing at the door of his room was starting to test her patience.

"Roy, open the - open the damn door! I know you're in there!" Donna licked her lips and leaned into the door frame. "Believe me. I'm here to help." Then she added, almost sure he wouldn't hear her. "Please?"

(So New Teen Titans #11-12 could not have happen post-crisis. This is what I wished would have happened. -M)

"Roy! Roy! Get back here!"

It is rare to hear Donna Troy raise her voice or issue demands. Today is such a rare day.

"Gods, I hope you took it on accident!" she mutters.

Changeling had been injured in their fight against H.I.V.E. and such wounds would have been fatal if they had not been near an Atlantean outpost. While Aqualad and Aquagirl had given them clearance to stay at this research station, it had been with the thought that the surface dwellers would keep to themselves and confined.

Since H.I.V.E. was still active, and that was the least of their problems, Robin had decided to put out the call for back-up. Most were old friends - like Lilith or Don. There was one person on that whole list she wasn't sure if she wished would be busy or not. She missed him. That much she knew. But talking him? Donna already based herself for an exercise in frustration, and praised the Gods for sending her sane, stable, mature Terry Long.

Not that everything was going perfectly there, but relationships were supposed to do that, right?

But forget all that. See, he'd taken one look at her lingering to talk to him after official check in and announced - loudly - he wanted to go "exploring," on the island chain near the research base. True to the name "Speedy" - her ex was out of there before anyone could object. That would have been the end of it except for the last communique. The last check said that he'd found some arrows lying around. The Atlantean researchers then told her what they had been looking for on the island.

It was best she got a hold of him before anyone in the group did. Gods help the world if Raven or Starfire had an accident with those! Dick and Wally had enough problems in that particular areas, and Cyborg was still looking over Gar. Besides, given the likelihood of what Speedy had discovered, this was an Amazon problem.

"Speedy, The Arrows of Hippolytus are dangerous! We're not sure what they'll do, but they're a god's arrows!"

The diner is one of those tucked away places in Upstate New York close enough to where the rich and famous live where people don't gape when they see them, yet far enough away from the rich and famous to offer prices she can afford -

Especially with this guy.

"Alternate universe, huh?" She tries to smile, and it's charming for a grimace. She covers it quickly with a sip of coffee. "So, that's why you don't know me."

She'd think the request was ridiculous or egotistical if not for three things. The first was her powers - those which allowed her to sense the truth like her creator, Wonder Woman - could feel that he wasn't lying. The second reason was that she'd been there. She had been where Dick now sat at this very diner, wondering who she was and missing so much information about her past and identity. The third reason was that Nightwing rarely allowed himself the luxury of ego. If anything, he was a little too selfless. They had that in common.

"So," she breathed in an uneasy breath. "I brought the scrap book, the photo album...and me. Where do you want to start?"

The sun is setting, meaning New Years' Celebrations are about to start, meaning business for the cape crowd. "You know Jesse, the longer I'm here, the more I think you steered us in the right direction."

She was on Earth again. Kyle was somewhere and supposed to be back soon. She was with the Titans again and Roy was acting a bit...more like the Roy she remembered rather then being this government-back near tyrant he could drop into being so easily now. Bart and Lian have been throughly chipper and...soothing...in their manic sort of way. She has yet another divorce hearing for some piece of property in a few hours, but right now it's quiet in the dawn hours of the train station base. She's flipping multigrain pancakes and she's singing...

A love struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
He's laying everybody low
He's got a love song that he made
He finds a convenient streetlight and he steps out of the shade
And says something like
"You and me, babe, how about it?"

Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo!
You nearly gave me a heart attack"
Yeah well, he's underneath the window now she's singing,
"Hey, la, my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up to people like that"
Oh anyway whatcha gonna do about it?

The Good News: Lian Harper is actually getting the hang of this "public school," thing. She's even discovered school band and has taken a serious interest in it.

The Bad News: She beginning to learn the saxophone and there isn't enough soundproofing in the world for this, much less out in the garage.

( Unintentional Moments of Tie Together. )

Some days it's not writing. It's taking dictation.

http://www.eff.org/

From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 — well before the Internet was on most people's radar — and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights.

I need to stress that I am only speaking for myself here, (which is why I am putting this on a character blog) but I remember this organization helping defend Star Trek fan websites from Viacom in '96. If you feel the need to go somewhere and do something about the recent situation or just want to know the law, the EFF is helping people in spots of trouble similar to Chris. I just signed up for the newsletter and took a look around the site.

Thanks all,

M

::Which is accompanied by a pair of clearly self-made silver bracelets::

Jesse,

You seemed stunned that I asked you to be my Maid of Honor - my second at my wedding. I'm hoping this letter clears that up, but if you want to ask something later, you know where to find me.

I'm not sure you know this story. It's not really in the records and it's not like Jay would boast or even credit himself with this, but he got my mother to leave her kingdom and come to this world. He was the first man since Heracles to set foot on the island. What sold her on the idea beyond Jay's sincerity and his insistence that the war would indeed come to our lands was Liberty Belle. Mom scoffed at the idea she'd be allowed to fight beside men as an equal without having to battle them first. Jay brought up your mother and, well, she had to go see this modern world for herself. At least this is what Mom told me the one time I asked her about the JSA.

Without the speedsters...Without Belle...there would likely be no Wonders in this world. As the most dedicated guardian of those and the JSA's legacy, it seems like it would be a sad thing to leave you out of the proceedings.

The second reason is far more personal. Out of the 12 people who directly risked their lives in those Games, I'll admit, you were the biggest surprise. We hadn't served that long together before my "departure" and you always seemed shy and distant around the Tower - despite the brashness and confidence you exuded elsewhere. Then you arrive at the Games. You race, you fight like an Amazon, you nearly die, and most amazing of all, you faced the largest metaphysical challenge there is - the Apple of Desire - and you give it up to someone I'm not even sure you considered a friend at that point for maybe the chance in Hell it would get us the Titans and I out of there alive. We both know the ways that thing twists a mind and makes you think, "If I just hold on..."

And you let it go on the hope I would know what to do. Without you doing that - I can't stress this enough - there likely would be no Titans. Not, at least, the way they are now. There wouldn't be a wedding. I might not have had the strength to make the decision I did to bring my family home. You might not think it, (and you will likely downplay it) but you were the heart of the team that day.

After that, you've listened good humoredly while I worked out 14 years of kinks with my relationship, was there with food and a shoulder to cry on when I got exiled from my home, we've fought the good fight time and again, and we likely will in the future - because the speed demons and the displaced Amazons have the future in common as well.

The bracelets aren't Amazon style. Themscyria doesn't think much of my take on their code, plus as fashionable as they can be, they are a little obvious in a civilian identity. They are, however, offered with the same spirit - friendship and...well, sisterhood - as another legacy case, as a fellow warrior, and, yes, as a Titan.

To the past, present, and future, Ms. Quick - at least that's the hope.

- Donna