Canary Cry

Chapter One: He left

Chapter One: He Left

STAR CITY

July 4, 09:05 PDT

"And thanks to Green Arrow Star City is once again made safe..." Kate rolled her eyes at the starstruck news anchor before turning to Dinah and spooning what was left of her breakfast cereal into her mouth. The bright day light streaming in through the large windows and making the white island tile and the yellow of her hearing aids glitter.

"You'd think they'd get bored of reporting the same thing over and over."

"Chew first please." Dinah scolded with a small smile, her silent agreement with the soon to be fourteen year old made clear in how the corner of her eyes crinkled ever so slightly. In the time that they've been cohabitating they've gotten pretty good at reading each other.

"Yeah, yeah," Kate mumbled, unable to fight her grin as she hopped down from the kitchen stool at the island and walked to the sink to wash her bowl.

"Hey, we have a dishwasher for a reason." Dinah gently course corrected, laying a hand on Kate's shoulder after setting down her almost empty cup of coffee. Kate's smile drained from her face, her cheeks flushing. "It's okay, Rome wasn't built in a day."

"It's been longer than a day though; it's been six months." Kate popped open the dishwasher and set her bowl and spoon inside, turning her back to face the older blonde not wanting to see the soft look of understanding it always held when she slipped back into old habits.

"And that's perfectly okay. You could take another year, or ten, I wouldn't care. I'd just be happy that you're here. Safe and taken care of." Dinah made Kate turn to look at her, retracting her grip once she was sure Kate would stay put. Knowing that kind physical contact was still something she was getting used to. 

Kate had learned not to trust words, words were broken promises and lies, but what was different with Dinah was that she didn't just say things. She backed up her words with actions, and her actions meant more than Kate could ever express. Her biggest fear very quickly becoming ever disappointing the woman in front of her, who had opened up her home and heart to her without much thought to the consequences. They were family. It was an odd feeling, but one she was learning to enjoy, slowly but surely.

"What's on the agenda today?" Kate smirked, leaning back against the counter as if without a care, her arms crossing loosely over her stomach. Dinah knew this was Kate speak for love you too and couldn't fight her matching look of mischievous glee.

"Hand-to-hand brush up on what we went over last time, and then I expect you to run through those control exercises for this that I taught you." Dinah tapped the front of the girls' throat lightly and strut past her into the hallway leading from the kitchen to the living quarters of the apartment. "Be ready in ten."

Kate's wolfish smirk turned into an eager grin as she took off after her guardian with a bounce in her step.

~~*~~

"Have you thought about it anymore?" Dinah asked, ducking under a swing from Kate's padded fist. Breathing and the sounds of feet on padded floor filling the echo chamber that is the Arrowcave. A name given to the massive space by Oliver, If bats gets a Batcave, then I want a Arrowcave! and Oliver was rich enough to get himself one. Building the lair straight under Queen Manor. Along with multiple smaller versions around the city in buildings he bought and repurposed.

"Why the rush?" Kate answered with a question, grunting in annoyance as her and Dinah circled each other. A zeta beam built into the far wall of the large space, steel tables around covered in tech, computers, and equipment used by both sets of hero and protégé that inhabited the space. Fluorescent lighting hanging from the high ceiling and clashing with the computer screens with various security images and live feeds.