Sparks Fly [Book Two in the "Fire And Lighting" Series]

Chapter Thirty-Six- Regrets and Second Thoughts

"Ahh..." He leaned back on the couch, watching the ceiling.

"You ever wish you could turn back the clock? Make things the way they used to?" He asked.

I leaned back with him, and closed my eyes, remembering.

I'd give anything right now to have Royston sit beside me instead of Mal, and have a simple meal prepared by my own mother instead of Dinah waiting when I got home.

"Come on, Willow!"

"Willow! You did it!"

"You doin' okay, Willow?"

My eyes opened as real memories replaced the one I'd made up for myself.

Training with Emma. Talking with Connor. Doctor Who and chicken whizzies with Artemis and Wally. Learning to play video games with a younger, more childish Richard. Burning cookies with M'gann. Kaldur's undying trust in me. Oliver and Dinah's kindness. Roy's proud grin as we brought down another gang together. Olivia's hugs every time I came home.

I stood up and placed a hand on Mal's shoulder. "You know what, Mal. I've made mistakes. And sometimes, I do wish things could be different. Sometimes I wish things were the way the used to be." I looked around the warehouse, and I could almost see cave walls instead of metal and wood. I looked at Holly, who looked so much like kitten Justice I couldn't help but smile.

"But you know what, things might not have turned out as amazingly as they have."

Leaving Mal to think about that, I ran downstairs, going to apologize to my mother, when I heard a quiet sobbing noise.

Under the stairs was a curtain. I didn't remember that being there when I first saw the fixed-up place.

I heard the sobbing noise again, but there were other noises too. More voices.

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay."

"We're gonna find her."

"I promise."

I pulled aside the curtain to reveal a group of very surprised looking girls.

"Please don't tell Nightingale I stole from her candy drawer!"

Finch, dressed in shades and a yellow hoodie with Batman's symbol over her heart, hugged a plastic bag filled with smaller bags of M&M's to her chest.

I sighed, examining the other girls. Terra had chocolate on her hands and mouth, wearing a gray crop-top over a gray shirt with brown shorts. Tammy was wearing blue everything, trying to hide her bag of chocolate and look as innocent as possible.

Bridget wore her usual running jacket, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, with her hair in its typical pigtails, running shorts and sneakers. She was staring at the floor guiltily, but didn't even bother to hide her M&M's

Cassie wore a gray hoodie over her Wonder Girl Outfit. She didn't even have M&M's.

Sarah shoved another handful of M&M's in her mouth as she watched me. She wore a green TMNT shirt with a black hoodie tied around her waist.

All the girls were gathered around Beast Girl, curled up in a sobbing ball. She just wore her regular old red-and-white uniform, and had no M&M's.

"Alright, I won't turn you guys in if you tell me what's going on."

Sarah and Cassie each had an arm around Rachel, rubbing her shoulders and rocking her back and forth as she continued to cry.

"We're just talking, really." Terra told me. Tammy and I woke up this morning, and Rachel was crying."

Until we could rescue M'gann, Tammy, Terra, and Rachel had to join the boys in living at the cave.

Tammy nodded, "We're talking about our feelings."

"Can I join you?" I asked.

"Sure," Bridget snagged a bag from Mara and tossed it to me. I caught it and pulled down on the hem of my t-shirt as I sat between Cassie and Tammy.

"Rachel was just going." Cassie said.

Rachel rubbed her nose and swallowed her tears. "Well, I miss M'gann. I wish she were here. I wish she'd be happy again."

Well, I knew why our bouncy M'gann wasn't so bouncy very much anymore, but I wasn't sure if Nightwing wanted me to tell everyone yet.

Rachel sniffed again, and patted Sarah's knee. "Okay, Sarah, you go."

It was Sarah's turn to take a deep breath. "Well, Jaime says Green Beetle helped him silence his scarab. You know how we've been worried about the thing with the Reach Apocalypse." She snuck a glance at Bridget.

"He says it could help me too, but...I don't really know."

"Well, why not?" Bridget asked anxiously, if you do do it, then you won't have to worry about helping the Reach!"

Sarah shook her head. "I...I don't know. I kind of like having my scarab talk to me, and Jaime...he's been acting a little weird, lately. I don't know if it's part of the Sarah being quiet or just...Jaime being Jaime."

She shrugged. "Okay, Bridget, your turn."

"Oh." The girl speedster turned red, twirling the end of her pigtail around her finger. "Um, well..."

There was a small beeping in my ear and everyone turned to me. I put my untouched bag of M&M's on the floor and walked out of the curtain.

"Wildfire."

"Willow, sorry, it's Nightwing. We need you at S.T.A.R. Labs, now."

"What is it?"

"There's something headed for Earth. And it's big."