Canary Cry

Chapter 11: Truces and Text Messages

Star City

August 9, 02:35 PDT

Dinah waited in the Arrow Cave for Kate, stress keeping it's grip tight on the woman as she staired down at the tablet in hand, knowing Kate should come through any second but unable to put down the only reassurance that Kate was still coming back.

"Recognized. Goldfinch B-0-4." Dinah put the tablet on the table next to her and rushed to the zeta beam. Kate stepping through looking a little worse for wear but not the worst Dinah had seen.

"Are you okay?" The woman couldn't help but ask and Kate sent her a small grin and nodded.

"Just need to sleep off some jellyfish toxin, but other than that I'm fine." Kate let the woman wrap her in a death grip hug. Dinah's warmth soaking into the girl's tired bones. "I'm sorry."

"What? Why-"

"For running." Kate had already apologized a million times but she hadn't told Dinah why, it seemed so stupid now, but Kate knew the woman deserved an explanation. "I thought- I thought you were trying to replace me."

Dinah froze, her arms like lead weights around Kate's shoulders. The girl gripping onto the woman's shirt like a lifeline. Burrowing further into Dinah's shoulder as she continued.

"She has more training, more experience, she's older, she's better than me-" Listening to the girl compare herself to someone one else is what broke Dinah out of her trance.

"Hey." The woman pulled away, holding Kate at an arm's length. Fingers gripping tight onto the girl's shoulders. "That is not true. I would never- I could never-" Dinah stumbled, a rare occurrence for the usually steadfast woman, "You are irreplaceable Kate, irreplaceable. To me. To Ollie. To the team. I'm so sorry I ever made you think that you weren't."

"It wasn't you. It was me. My brain doesn't like safety, and you're safe, and I should've known that's not what you or Oliver were trying to do with bringing Artemis into the fold. I'm sorry I made you worry, and I'm sorry I didn't trust you," Kate's eyes stung, her voice getting thicker with each word. "I'm-"

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. Progress isn't always linear. Things change in these lives of ours. Sometimes, a lot of time, in an instant. There's no real way to ever get used to it, but that's just part of the job. Change happens, doesn't mean it's bad. Change means growth, and expansion. I know you care about the team, having Artemis on it will just mean there's another person there to not only have your back, but everyone's."

"I don't trust her." Kate replied, but Dinah could see in her eyes that her words weren't fully true. Kate didn't want to like Artemis, didn't want to trust her. But Dinah knew at some point that Kate would see how similar her and Artemis were and hopefully they would start to get along. Maybe even become friends.

"You didn't trust me when you first met me either. Give it time, you'll see she's a good person, one that deserves a second chance. Or a first chance..."

"Fine." Kate huffs, wiping under her nose, "But if any of them get hurt because of her, she'll have to answer to me."

Dinah smiled down at the girl and brought her into another hug, petting her hair for a second before taking her hand and helping her upstairs to her bedroom in the manor. Helping her into the bed and slipping in beside her. Leaning back against the headboard as Kate used her stomach as a pillow.

~~*~~

Star City, Arrow Cave

August 10, 09:35 PDT