With Or Without You. (Young Justice Fanfiction)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four.

Artemis had told Regan the whole story. Why she left to go join the light, what had happened and how Wally had died. Regan sat listening to her go on. She got up to make another brew twice and had to refill the biscuit tin through out the whole of the story. It still didn't register in her mind that Wally was dead. This girl in her kitchen couldn't be Wally's girl. She must be dreaming.

But Regan knew as much as she wished for this to be a dream that it wouldn't work. This wasn't a dream. Life was unfair and cruel. Everyone in Starbright Village knew that. Images of her and Wally's days together swirled around in her head. He was such a lively person, always ready to make someone laugh. Why did death always have to take those people with so much life in them before their time?

The sky was turning pink outside as the dawn broke out. Artemis had finally finished the story and looked like she was about to pass out. Regan couldn't help but think that she looked nothing like the girl in the photos that Wally had shown her. The girl in the photos had so much life and love in her. There was a light in those girls eyes and a laugh on her lips. This girl sitting across from Regan couldn't have been more different. The light in her eyes seemed to have been dulled and there was no laugh on her lips. There were heavy black bags under her eyes and her hair looked in need of a good wash.

"Right" Regan said as she got up from her chair and picked up the two empty mugs. "You need to get some sleep, I can't have ya pass out in me kitchen. I've a bad back nowadays so I won't be able to lift you into bed if you do pass out" She said as she put the mugs in the sink and walked back to the kitchen table.

Artemis watched her in silence as Regan put the lid back on the biscuit tin and put in back in the press. She watched as while she leaned forward towards the press at how sort of rigid her movements were. There was a slight wince in her face, as if it pained her to even do the simpliest thing as to put a tin away. She looked to have been 21 at least. What had caused her to be this way?

"What happened to your back?" Artemis asked as she watched Regan cover her own yawn.

"Enough of the questions you" Regan said as she held out her hand to Artemis. "I'll answer all yer questions after you've gotten some sleep. You look like you haven't slept in weeks and by the sounds of things you probably haven't"

Artemis was too tired to retort or to respond. She wanted to know everything right away. That's what she came for was answers. Now these answers were right in front of her face and she couldn't ask them. She took Regan's hand and let her lead her down the hallway towards the sitting room. The sun was peeking in through the heavy clouds and the birds were beginging to sing. Regan left Artemis to find her way towards the guest bedroom and get into bed herself. Artemis's eyes were so heavy as she climbed into the lavender scented bed. The sheets and pillows were soft and smooth. She let out a sigh and for the first time in weeks fell into a deep dark sleep.

Regan went back to turn off the kitchen light and made her way to her own bedroom. She pulled off her green dress and flung it across her tiny room and on to her chair beside her dresser. She pulled her long brown hair into a bun and pulled her pjs from the night before off the floor and jumped into them. She pulled back her bed covers and got under them. Her body was aching from her long day. All she wanted to do was fall into a deep peaceful sleep but she couldn't. Although she was tired and her mending bones were aching she couldn't. Her mind kept going back to the girl sleeping in her spare room and the reason she had come to visit.

Artemis hadn't read the entire journal but Regan didn't know how much she knew. Did she know about what Regan could do? Did she know about the mass killing that had gone on in this place? Did she know of the clans and the war? Did she know about the Alpha's or the suffering? Did she know what Wally did to this place?

And poor Wally. A boy who had cheered up so many and had helped so many in his time here. Knowing that her friend was dead was what hurt her the most. He was so alive, so fresh. He was so strong and able minded. He was smart and was good in a fight. Regan couldn't help but feel a swell of anger in her chest. He had gone through so much here, they both had. Everyone did. But he had managed to survive what had happened here. He had managed to leave. He got away. Only to die in another country over something else.

Regan wanted to scream she was so angry. Why was the world so god damned unfair? Didn't she lose enough already? She had already lost her family, her boyfriend and some of her friends. She had lost everything. She'd never play rugby again, she'd never get her family or her friends back.

Regan took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The anger that had built up inside her was slowly fading away. It would never fade completely though. She would always feel this rage inside her, no matter what she did she would never get rid of it. The unfairness of everything would never leave her. How could it?

She turned on her side and slipped her hand under the pillow. She needed to sleep. She would need her energy for when Artemis woke up. She would have loads of questions to ask her. Some would be painful for her to answer and some not so painful. She would need her strength for that. But among her thoughts swirled a darker one. Something she hadn't thought of since Henry had died. She managed to fall into a deep sleep just as the sky turned blue marking the start of a new day.