San Francisco, California
Ashley sighed as Connor threw another police car and stood protectively near Rachel, waiting for Connor to become cornered. "You remember what to do?" Ashley asked her, trying to make sure everything would fall into place.
"Yes, We'll be fine" Rachel assured her.
"It's not me I'm worried about, kid" Ashley told her. Ashley saw the gold of Donna's lasso out of the corner of her eye and walked out with Rachel standing behind her.
"Rachel, now" Dick ordered. Rachel quickly complied and Ashley stepped out of her way and Ashley watched Connor struggle inside the lasso.
"Connor it's time to come home, we're family" Ashley reminded him and his struggle stopped for the shortest second.
"Dick hurry up, this guy's really strong" Rachel told Dick, struggling against Connor. "It's all you now" Rachel told him.
"It's all us now" Dick corrected her quietly.
"Bring him home Grayson" Ashley said to him. Dick nodded at her and soon he was engulfed by Rachel's darkness. Ashley kept watch over Rachel, waiting for something to happen.
"Connor" Ashley yelled when she saw his eyes open.
"Please let me go" Connor pleaded. "So I can end this." Ashley looked over to Dick who silently agreed, so Donna and Rachel let him go. He looked around awkwardly while the rest of the team remained in defensive mode.
"You good bud?" Ashley asked him. He nodded at her and looked like he was looking for the proper words to say.
"Thank you" Connor told Dick sincerely.
"Let's go, big guy. She fucked me up too" Ashley told him and she and Connor walked off while the rest of the team looked at each other with confused expressions.
"She said she'd explain later" Donna said with a shrug. "We just had to get them back first."
Ashley stayed behind Connor as the men shot at them, desperately trying to take the Kryptonian boy down, and Ashley smirked at the expressions of dread laced across their faces. Ashley and Connor split up after they backed them up behind the armored truck. Ashley took out the two men on her side quickly and ripped on the back of the truck. "Mercy isn't here" Ashley told Connor and grinned maliciously at the man in the truck. "Where is she?" She asked the man who looked like Ashley caught him without his pants on.
"I don't-" The man began.
"Don't say you don't know, that makes me very mad. Didn't Mercy tell you what happens when I get mad?" Ashley asked him and he gulped.
"She just left roughly two minutes ago" The man informed her. Ashley hummed and they shut the doors to the truck.
"Split up?" She asked Connor.
"Together?" He asked her.
"Every step of the way kid" Ashley promised. Connor and Ashley made their way between the various vans and SUVs littering the Park as they searched for Mercy.
"It's over for you" Connor said, stepping in front of her.
"This is for Lex Luthor" Kory said, punching Mercy as hard as she could in the face, causing Ashley to laugh.
"Fuck you bitch" Ashley laughed as she watched Mercy fall, knocked out from the force of the punch.
"Damn it" Kory said, clutching her fist as she dance around in pain.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ashley asked Kory.
"It might be broken" She said gesturing to her hand.
"It's gonna be your turn for babysitting duty" Ashley laughed.
"Oh shut up" Kory said and three made their way to the group. Ashley patted Kory on the back and smiled as hit Ashley before groaning in pain.
"Bed rest" Ashley taunted Kory.
"Hell no" Kory told her and Ashley laughed.
"I caused all this" Connor said as he looked around. "It wasn't me, but I did this. I'm sorry" Connor apologized.
"We know. It's good to have you back" Donna said. "I gotta tell you though, you really throw a punch." Connor cracked a hint of a smile and Ashley smiled at him.
"So, Smoke for dinner?" Ashley asked the group.
"Smoke for dinner" All but Connor responded.
"I don't know what that means" Connor admitted to her.
"IT's the best damn resteraunt in this city" Ashley laughed. "Carbs for days" Ashley said, walking forward and patting his shoulder. "Now which one of y'all is riding with who?" Ashley asked and before Dick could answer Ashley looked him dead in the eyes. "You are not riding my car, asshole" Ashley told him.
"You're still in the dog house" Donna laughed.
"He can stay in it" Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Real nice, guys. Thank's a lot, means so much to me" Dick said sarcastically.
"Pipe down" Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Luckily for you guys, I keep clothes in the cars" Ashley laughed. Ashley turned Connor to face the retreating crowd as they clapped for them. "See, you couldn't be so bad" Ashley told him quietly.
"Thank you" Connor told her.
"Anything for family" Ashley smiled at him. Rachel started laughing excitedly and Gar almost lost control of the robe around him which Ashley helped fix quickly. "No flashing, okay" Ashley teased him with a smile.
"It wasn't intentional" Gar muttered and Ashley smiled at him.
'Mommy, my dolly' Ashley heard a little girl say and point to the area where her doll was sat. Dawn looked at the little girl and shrugged at Ashley as she went to grab it. Dawn brought it back to the little girl and Ashley began to converse with Donna about everything that happened since she had left. Ashley heard a creak and her and Donna quickly looked toward the radio tower. "Oh shit" Ashley said.
"Dawn!" Hank yelled and Donna rushed forward, catching it underneath.
"Donna" Ashley yelled, attempting to make a mad dash for the Amazon, but was held back by Dick. Donna screamed as the electricity ran through her and Ashley started quietly chanting a series of 'No's' and eventually broke away from Dick and hit him before running toward a still screaming Donna and pulled her backward and they both fell onto the concrete.
"Don't be alone, Ash. He loves you" Donna told her. Ashley stopped what she was about to do and nodded.
"You were supposed to be with us, you're not supposed to be the one who leaves" Ashley told her while crying and started sobbing harder as Donna's final breath left her body. "Wake up you asshole" Ashley sobbed as she held Donna's body. "We still had so much to talk about before you went back to New York. You're supposed to see him again" Ashley sobbed, clutching the woman who had remained the closest thing she had to a sister since she was eight. "Donna" Ashley sobbed as she clutched her tightly.
"Ashley?" She heard Dick ask her quietly.
"How do I tell Diana that she's gone?" Ashley sobbed, refusing to let go of Donna as the rest of the team looked at the finally broken Ashley who couldn't stop crying and still refused to let her go.
"You don't have to" Dick told her, rubbing her shoulder. "I'll do it" He told her, pulling her and the very much so deceased Wondergirl into his arms.
"Call Roy" Ashley barely got out from behind her sobs. "She was our sister first" Ashley sobbed. Dick nodded, and for the first time in five years, he was unable to console the broken brunette in front of him.
"Oh my god" Dawn whispered softly. They couldn't do anything as Ashley's loud sobs racked her body again and Dick only held her and Donna tighter and Ashley sobbed into his neck.
"Come on, we gotta move."
♠♠♠
Ashley spent the remainder of Donna's time with the team dressed in black as they waited for confirmation that Diana and Jillian had arrived, refusing to leave Donna's side. "I'm sorry" Ashley whispered to Donna. "I'm so sorry" Ashley told her as she cried, clutching Donna's cold hand in her own.
"Hey kid" Hank said, walking into the room.
"Hank" Ashley greeted quietly, not able to speak much louder, and wiped the tears from her face.
"You okay?" He asked her.
"Do I look okay?" Ashley asked him rhetorically.
"Stupid question" Hank acknowledged.
"I just lost the only person in the world who I could've considered a sister" Ashley said. "We fought like sisters, we talked to each like sisters and we loved like sisters. We were truly family" Ashley sobbed. "She was the coolest older sister who I wanted to be just like, even though I wouldn't admit it" Ashley admitted to him. "And now I have to refer to her in past tense every time I think about her" Ashley began to sob harder.
"Jillian and Diana are waiting at the tarmac" Hank told her. Ashley forced herself to compose herself, swallowing a sob down.
"I don't want to let her go" Ashley told him.
"I know" Hank said, putting her hand on her shoulder. "But it's time to let her go home" Hank told Ashley.
"Yeah" Ashley said. "I know" Ashley said, standing up rather weakly. "Send them in" Ashley told him.
"Okay. kid" Hank said. There were a few blessed quiet moments where Ashley was crying and it was silent in her head as she stood beside her deceased longtime friend and Dick, Kory, Connor, and Dawn entered.
"It's time to go" Ashley heard Dick say and Ashley took in a deep breath.
"Okay" Ashley said and squeezed Donna's hand one last time. "It's been a good run" Ashley told the corpse and stepped out of the way so the boy handle Donna. Dawn took one look at Ashley and hugged her tightly, which Ashley reciprocated.
"Are you going to go with them?" Dawn asked her quietly.
"No, I made a promise to her" Ashley told Dawn. "You don't break promises to your dead family" Ashley said. Dawn nodded and they both hugged each other even tighter. They all made their way down to the garage, the entirety of the team loading up in three separate Cadillac SUVs to escort Donna. Dick climbed into the driver's seat and looked over at her in surprise.
"I can't drive" Ashley admitted.
"It's okay" Dick said, taking her comfortingly.
"How fucked in the head do you gotta be to want to be in the vehicle with a dead Amazon Princess?" Ashley asked as a joke.
"I don't know, we're both pretty fucked" Dick joked back with her.
"I made a promise, Dick" Ashley told him. "I promised her and I don't know if I can keep that promise."
"I was gonna ask about it anyway" Dick acknowledged. The drive was silent as they drove to the airport, the only sound was the occasional sniffle from Ashley, who was clutching Dick's hand like a lifeline. As they parked, Ashley steadied her breathing and wiped her nose with a napkin she kept stashed in her purse, and exited the car, watching Hank open the back. Ashley and Dawn grabbed the front of the casket and Dick and Hank got the back while Kory shut the back of the SUV. The kid's lined up and Ashley handed Donna's lasso to Jillian, who laid it atop her casket and Dick patted Ashley's back. Dick went to talk to Jillian while Ashley went up to Diana.
"Ashley" Diana said and Ashley turned around to greet them.
"I'm so sorry, I couldn't save her" She told Diana, who nodded.
"This was always a call I hoped I would never get" Diana called.
"I wish we didn't make it" Ashley told her honestly.
"Did she go with honor?" Diana asked her.
"She saved so many innocent many people" Ashley smiled. "If that isn't honorable, I don't what is."
"Will you be coming with us?" Diana asked her.
"I made a promise to her before she died" Ashley told Diana. "I can't go back on it" She told her.
"Very well" Diana said. "You've been a good friend to her."
"She's always gonna be family" Ashley told Diana.
"You don't know how happy she would be to hear that" Diana replied. "Thank you Ashley" Diana said, shaking Ashley's hand.
"May the Gods treat her right in her afterlife" Ashley replied.
"Good luck and good fortune" Diana replied and Ashley took a step back and turned to stand beside Dick.
"They're taking her back to Themyscria?" Rachel asked, coming up to them.
"They have a special place for warriors like Donna. Sacred grounds" Dick replied as an explanation.
"I should go with Donna" Rachel replied. "If anybody can help her it's me" Rachel said hopefully.
"We all want her back" Ashley said. "But it's just not possible" Ashley acknowledged.
"You don't understand, my powers are changing, getting stronger" Rachel tried to explain. "Like I think I've actually been inside both of your heads. Like I can take your thoughts and bring them to life."
"I've seen you do some amazing things and considering what's in my head, that's pretty messed up" Dick said, laughing at the end like he thought it was, though Ashley chewed on her bottom lip as she thought.
"All I'm saying is if there's any chance" Rachel began to persuade.
"If you want to go, I won't stop you" Dick told her. "But we can't always change the world" Dick explained.
"But we can try" Rachel argued.
"Then it's time to try" Ashley told her. "If you really think you can do it, then take the chance to bring her home" Ashley told Rachel who nodded.
"Thank you for believing in me" Rachel said as she hugged.
"I always will" Ashley said, hugging her back.
"Go with Donna" Dick agreed. "You're room will be waiting for you when you get back."
"Who knows maybe I'll stay on the island" Rachel joked.
"Watch out, space witch skin isn't made for the tropical sun" He joked back and the three of them laughed.
"I'll survive" Rachel said. "Will both of you?" Rachel asked.
"We'll miss you" Dick nodded and she hugged both Ashley and Dick at the same time.
"Come on, Jillian's intimidating the first time you meet her and she has a bitch streak like no other" Ashley said, walking Rachel toward the plane. Ashley walked her in and introduced her to the various Amazons on the plain before walking out and standing with the Team as they watched the plane take off, her feelings conflicted as she watched it fly off into the sunset.
♠♠♠
"What was her deal with tomatoes?" Gar asked Dawn and Ashley put the food down on the new table.
"She called it the devil's fruit" Kory said, smiling as she thought about Donna's hatred of tomatoes.
"Hold on, tomatoes are a fruit?" Hank asked in confusion.
"Seriously, Hank?" Ashley asked him, laughing. "You didn't know that?" Ashley laughed.
"How was I supposed to know?" Hank asked and Ashley ignored the conversation that Kory was having with her father.
"By fucking paying attention in middle school" Ashley laughed and threw a grape tomato at him.
"Hey" Hank said in offense before he threw it back at her.
"Careful Hankford, this is Burberry" Ashley told him.
"What? Is Burberry a fruit too?" Hank asked sarcastically.
"You're an actual ass" Ashley told him.
"No, but I have one" Hank laughed, thinking he was the funniest person in the room.
"Gross" Ashley told him, rolling her eyes as Dick cleared his throat.
"Donna Troy, Ashley, and I was a group of strays, nothing linking us except for parents who liked to dress up at night and fight crime" Dick said and Ashley smiled at him and patted her father's hand sarcastically. "She saw us as family, but I was admittedly not interested in family then. Families can be fucked up, I mean look around. We've all spent our lives recovering from the damage done by our families. Donna knew something I didn't. If you throw enough strays together, you get a family. One not bound by DNA, but by a collective sense of duty and devotion to one another, and that when you lose someone you love, you need this. What we have right here, and as for what's next for us all, I don't know" Dick said and Ashley grabbed her father's hand like she did as a child in an attempt to not cry. "That's a million-dollar question" Dick acknowledged. "Anyways, to Donna Troy for giving me a second chance at a family. Thanks to you guys for taking me back in. To the Titans" Dick said and held his glass bottle of Donna's favorite soda.
"To the Titans" Everybody else said and raised their orange sodas.
"To Donna Troy" Kory said for Ashley and everyone repeated and clinked their bottles together.
"Ugh" Hank said in disgust after he took a drink. "This is what she's been drinking this whole time?" Hank asked.
"There's a reason I gave you the room temp one" Ashley laughed.
"I think it's pretty great" Dawn said with a smile.
"Personally, I prefer the strawberry one, but the orange too" Ashley agreed.
"I like it" Kory agreed.
"Barf" Hank complained.
"Quit being picky Hank, you're literally like thirty" Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Do we got any chicken nuggets and ketchup?" He asked, no hint of a joke in his voice.
"No we're eating Donna's food, now dig in ya chunk" Ashley told him and everybody laughed.
"Don't laugh at me" Hank grumbled and took a bite of his food.
"Guys there's cops and a bomb squad responding to a disturbance in the Mission District. It sounds pretty bad" Gar said and everyone went silent and looked around at each other. Dawn got up from her seat and looked back as she began to walk away.
"What are you guys waiting for?" Dawn asked.
"Dick, did you get my suit from Stu?" Ashley asked and Dick smiled.
"Yeah, it's up in the uniform room" He said.
"I guess the Huntress can strike once again" Ashley groaned and got up. "Rock and roll, girlies. I wanna be back before the food's cold since it's right down the street." Dick didn't move, but Ashley heard her father say one thing to him as she retreated.
"There's your answer."
A/N I made myself cry like ten times with this chapter. It was emotionally draining to write especially and possibly will be confusing for you guys since there are so many unfinished stories with Donna that I'm writing in Innocent's sequel that truly explain her and Ashley's friendship to its core. They really were sisters in every sense of the word, and I think that is the main reason why I cried while writing. I'm also excited for the next book, it's gonna be great. Also, I decided to omit the character I talked about in the last chapter, because it was getting to be a little chaotic, but he will be featured for sure by the end of the next book (and no it's not Garth 😉) With all of that said, go presave the next book, Sad Beautiful Tragic!