Moving On - 04
Pairing: Bart Allen (Flash) x Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Girl)
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Beware little kids and their oh-so-innocent questions.
Summary: Cassie, looking to move out of her mother's house, gets a surprise when the superhero community sends her to the apartment of an old friend.
Moving On
By Nightmare and Winged Dreamer
Chapter Four
-----The Flash Museum, Business Hours. The Keystone Elementary Fieldtrip-----
Taking a moment to catch her breath after a windy but very grade-school-level explanation of the very basics of the Cosmic Treadmill, Cassie put her hands on her hips and huffed at a stray lock of hair that had slipped from its binding to fall over her brow. The kids had only been there for an hour, and she was already feeling frazzled. So far she had been asked if the Flash really existed, what a Speedster was, why wasn't the Flash called just called the Fast, and yet again what she would do if she met the real Flash in public. The newest question and one she hadn't been able to truly answer had been whether or not the Flash could win in a race against Superman. Resolving to ask Bart that as soon as she got a moment, Cassie turned her attention back to the children, watching them with mindful eyes as they stared at the Cosmic Treadmill in perplexity and/or awe. A few of them were starting to look bored, so she figured they should probably move on… in another moment or two.
A slight draft tugged at her hair for a brief moment, pushing a few strands back into her face. "I thought I told you to take it easy on the coffee," murmured an amused voice from right behind her.
Startled, the blond squealed in surprise and whirled. Her eyes were huge as she stared at their impromptu visitor. Surprised gasps from behind her clearly told her that the children had turned around as well. "I… Hello," she managed by way of reply when she finally got her hammering heart back under control. The children, for the moment at least, were silent.
It was the Flash himself who stood there, in all his red and gold glory, wearing a bright grin and a mischievous spark in his gold eyes to go along with his trademark costume. Bart was never going to let Cassie live that surprised squeak down. Ever. "Hi. I heard there was a field trip today, so I thought I'd stop by." Turning his attention to the crowd of kids, Flash let his grin turn into a warm smile. "Hey, kids. You guys having fun?"
"Are you really the Flash?" asked one skeptical second grader.
Flash nodded. "Yes, I am."
The young boy crossed his arms. "Prove it."
Air quietly whooshed into the suddenly empty space where the Flash had been standing and the students behind the second grader found themselves pushed aside to make room for the adult now standing among them. "Boo."
Cassie hid a soft laugh behind her hand as the suspicious boy jumped and whirled. Milliseconds later he was cheering along with the rest of the hordes as they surrounded the Flash, bombarding him with questions and requests. Folding her arms under her chest, Wonder Girl watched with a soft smile as the Flash was nearly mauled by the overly exuberant grade-schoolers. She owed Bart big time after this. Even the parents were getting in on the excited chatter.
"One at a time! One at a time!" called Flash over the noise, holding back a laugh at the sheer excitement surrounding him. "You." He pointed at one of the first-grade girls. "What's your name?"
The little brunette flashed him a jack-o-lantern grin. "Alexa."
"Hi, Alexa. What's your question?"
"Who would win if you raced Superman?"
Oh boy. Of course Bart would choose a kid with a hard-to-prove question first. At least he could give an honest answer, even if they wouldn't all believe him. "I would."
Sidling up to Cassie as the children expressed a mix of disbelief at the claim and pride in their resident superhero, one of the first grade teachers praised, "Thank you so much for doing this. I don't know how you got him to show up, but this has just become our best field trip ever."
"Honestly, I didn't think he'd show up. He's pretty busy just living a life and being a superhero and I was leery about asking him, but I'm glad he made the time. The kids look really happy." Smiling affectionately as she watched Bart interact with the children, Cassie tipped her head ever-so-slightly and wondered, briefly, what it would be like to be married to him with kids of their own.
The teacher smirked knowingly at the openly smitten expression on Cassie's face, reminded of the days when she had been young and in love. "The children aren't going to stop talking about this for weeks. Do you think-"
"Is she your girlfriend?" Silence fell onto the room like a ton of bricks, all eyes landing on the second-grade girl innocently pointing at Cassie.
Completely stunned by the question, Bart spent a relative few hours staring at the girl, trying to wrap his mind around the words that had come out of her mouth. Was Cassie his girlfriend? Oh god, Bart could only wish. Only in a perfect world would Cassie ever even consider being his girlfriend. Looking up at his roommate, he watched as a bright pink blush blossomed on her cheeks, and Bart knew what it meant to be totally, utterly mortified. "No, she isn't," the Flash answered after one second of real time had passed, hopefully not too fast to seem odd.
"N-no. No, I'm not. What makes you think that?" Cassie was embarrassed, but completely curious to find out what it was that had this little girl thinking that she and the Flash were dating. She wanted to be. Oh, how she wanted to be Bart Allen's significant other, and he was certainly old enough to be now. She just hadn't figured out how to "snare" him yet without embarrassing them both and without making his low self-esteem flare.
The little girl shrugged. "I dunno. Just that you were lookin' at him like my big sister looks at her boyfriend before my other sister yells at them to get a room."
Cheeks flaming even hotter, Cassie's expression went from interested, slightly embarrassed and composed to outright embarrassed and flabbergasted. "I… I… think we should be moving on. Flash, will you be joining us for the rest of the tour?"
Shaken out of his shock at what the girl had said by Cassie's almost desperate question, Bart managed a stiff nod. "Uh, j-just for a few more minutes." The disappointed groans from the crowd around him helped the Flash find more of his footing. Disappointed kids he could handle. "I'm sorry, kids, but I have to be leaving soon," he apologized with a smile.
"I think we should all say thank you to the Flash for dropping by to say hello. Remember, he keeps this city safe by helping the police apprehend the bad guys, and he's got to be both a normal person and a superhero. Can you imagine leading two lives?" The head shakes Cassie got were adorably emphatic, and she began to herd them toward the next exhibit, telling the parents where to go and lingering behind so that she could have a word with the Flash.
As Cassie neared the Flash while following the children and their chaperones, she gave him an almost shy smile and murmured, "Thank you. You didn't have to do this."
Bart shrugged and tried not to look as shy as he felt. There was no way he'd be able to get the girl's words out of his head and he knew it. As if he didn't have enough reasons to be distracted at work. "I figured that since you suggested it, you really wanted me to show up. Anyway, uh, my lunch break's almost over. I'd better get going." Putting on a warm smile, the Flash said a quick, "I'll see you later, Cass," before disappearing.
That smile stopped her cold, and Cassie stared after the bright red and gold blur until a throat cleared beside her. Starting for the second time that afternoon, Cassie spun, meeting the eyes of the museum curator. "Uhm, sorry, I…"
"Finish up with the kids. Then come see me in my office."
Stomach going a cold, she nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Good." He walked off with a small nod and a smile.
Turning back to the field trip, the demigoddess let out a small sigh, recollected herself and moved after the kids.
-----A Few Hours Later-----
Wiping sweaty hands on the sides of khaki-covered thighs, Cassie paused outside of the curator's office, licking lips gone suddenly dry. In the few weeks that she had been working in the museum, Cassie had never been called to this office. Logically, she reasoned that she couldn't possibly be in trouble because she hadn't done anything wrong. Irrationally, she couldn't help but worry. Raising a fist, she checked her strength just to be safe and rapped gently on the door.
"Come in." Dexter Myles, long-time curator of the Flash Museum, put down the paperwork he had been reading and smiled as Cassie entered the room. "Ah, Cassie. Take a seat, please." He gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk.
Flashing a nervous smile, Cassie nodded a little stiffly and slowly settled in the chair. "Uhm, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I did." Leaning forward, Dexter clasped his hands on the desk. "I wanted to say that it was a brilliant move to ask the Flash to make an appearance during the field trip. I don't know how you did it, but I'm glad you did." A knowing, amused glimmer appeared in his old blue eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be friends with him, would you?"
"Not really. I happened to run into him and surprisingly managed to pounce him before he got away. I - I didn't actually think he'd come…" Blushing at the implications in Dexter's eyes, Cassie toyed with a fingernail and stared down into her lap.
White brows lifted in disbelief, accompanied by a very amused smile. "Mmhmm. Well, if you ever happen to 'run into' him again, please tell him thank you for coming and ask him if he could come to any of the other field trips. You have the most recent version of the event schedule, yes?"
"Unless there've been updates since last week, I do." Lifting her gaze, Cassie smirked. "I can't promise anything though. It's not like I can get a hold of him any time I want."
"Of course not… Cass." Dexter's mustache kept twitching as if he was holding back laughter.
"You… heard that?" The blond winced a little, praying that her boss hadn't completely figured her out. She didn't need that kind of grief. She remembered Gateway City's response to Cassandra Sandsmark and her alter ego all too well.
Old blue eyes blinked at her with complete innocence. "Heard what? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Now, Cassie, I was wondering if I could run a theory by you," he said, dropping the act.
Relieved by Dexter's response, Cassie tried not to let it show too much and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"
"The Flash, the one we have right now. I've been wondering who exactly he is. He obviously isn't Jay, since Jay has no reason to put on the Scarlet Speedster costume. It can't be Barry. He's been dead for years, God bless his soul. A lot of people think the Flash we have now is Barry's successor, returned after a year's absence. Others think it's the second Kid Flash, grown up and bearer of the mantle now. What do you think?"
"Uhm, I… well, I guess…" Stopping herself, Cassie took a small breath and sighed. "The second Kid Flash hasn't been seen with the Titans. In fact, he hasn't been seen at all. A lot of superheroes needed time to recuperate after the Crisis. Superman… uhm, some say Batman. Those that believe in him anyway. Even Wonder Woman. I guess, it could be Barry's successor, but it could also be the second Kid Flash since I haven't seen a Kid Flash in forever." Slender shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "I haven't noticed a change in costume, but… there might be other ways to tell."
Dexter nodded and thoughtfully pursed his mouth. "Mm. So, if you had to bet on Barry's successor and Kid Flash graduating into the Flash role, which would you choose?"
"I've noticed that this Flash is a lot less cocky than Barry's successor was. He's sweet, not that the third Flash wasn't, but he's less flirtatious and more…" Fishing for the best word to describe Bart, Cassie thoughtfully looked toward the ceiling. "Clumsy-charming, I guess."
"So you would bet that what we have is a fourth Flash, not a return of the third."
"I would, I suppose." Cassie nodded and tipped her head. "But I could be wrong."
"Right. Thank you, Cassie. That makes six votes for a return of the third Flash, nineteen for a fourth Flash, and one for Barry's ghost come back to haunt us." Dexter's smile was lopsided as he made a tally mark on a piece of paper taped down to the corner of his desk.
"Not a problem. Uhm, I should probably be getting back out on the floor. Jill could be either totally bored or completely swamped. You know how it is."
"Of course, of course. Thank you for stopping by, Cassie. Oh, and don't forget to keep a copy of the event schedule on you… just in case." Dexter winked at her.
"Yeah. Of course. If I see him, I'll see what we-uh-I, I mean he can do." She was on her feet in a few seconds and out the door in a few more. Once outside, she paused and leaned against the wall beside Dexter's office to catch her breath. There had been a surprising amount of pressure in that room despite the fact that the old curator hadn't outright asked for the fourth Flash's identity, and had in fact denied having any assumptions about Cassie's relationship to the Flash while hinting that he had a few ideas at the same time. Unsure of exactly how she should be taking Mr. Dexter Myles at the moment, she pushed off the wall and returned to the museum floor, resolving that if nothing else, she could expect him to be discreet and considerate.
-----Later That Same Afternoon-----
Bart couldn't have gotten out of work a minute too soon. The instant he was done punching out at the plant and confident that no one was looking at him, he had taken off at superspeed for Jay's house, where he had promptly flopped on the couch with his face buried in a pillow. He didn't care that he was still in his plant uniform or that, with his coat on, he was quickly overheating. No. All Bart wanted was something - anything! - to take his mind off his impromptu trip to the museum and the young voice in his head asking if Cassie was his girlfriend.
"Something the matter, Bart?" asked a kindly voice from behind him. Jay stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching him with two steaming mugs of cocoa already in hand. He'd heard Bart's entrance and had prepared the hot chocolate as a greeting. He hadn't realized it might end up being a comfort drink as well.
Muffled by the pillow, Jay just managed to make out the words, "I can't go home."
"Can't go home? Well, why not?" Surprise was evident in his voice as he settled on the couch beside the younger Speedster.
"Because I had the most embarrassing lunch break today and there's no way I'm going to be able to look Cassie in the face for a week, at least."
Jay chuckled and offered the boy a mug. "What exactly happened?"
Feeling the mug tap on his arm, Bart extracted his face from the pillow and sat up to take the hot drink. By the end of the ten minutes it took to tell the story, his face was red for the second time that day, and it wasn't from the steam rising off his cocoa. "And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day! If I go home, it'll just get worse."
Shifting, Jay settled back on the couch and cupped the mug with both hands. "Well, I've been meaning to ask you this anyway. I suppose now is as good a time as any. How exactly do you really feel about Cassandra, Bart? I don't even need to ask about the chemistry. Joan and I noticed that almost immediately, but it would help me help you to know how you honestly felt about her."
Jay could almost see the wheels in Bart's head stall at the question. There were so many ways to answer that. They started at Bart's inability to get Cassie's smile out of his mind's eye and only went downhill - and more private - from there. "How do I feel about Cassie? Uh… Well, I… I like her. I like her a lot. I mean, we were on two teams together. She's one of my best friends."
"Superheroing aside. How do you feel about Cassandra Sandsmark? How would you feel if she lost all of her powers and could never be Wonder Girl again? I ask because it's important to look at the woman and not her powers or her connections to you on any level but the heartstrings."
"If she lost all her powers, she'd still be one of my best friends. It wouldn't change anything," said Bart with complete honesty.
"Friends isn't what we're talking about, Bart. Let me be a little more blunt. Are you attracted to her?"
"Everybody's attracted to her. She's Cassie."
"Don't dance around the answer. Are you attracted to her?"
That got an awkward shrug out of the younger Speedster. "Well, yeah. Of course I am. Like I said, everyone is. Cassie's beautiful and smart and… and funny and spirited and… really cute in the morning before she's had her coffee, and she has a great laugh and a wonderful smile and…" Realizing where his train of thought was taking his ramble, Bart snapped his mouth shut and hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt, because just because his mouth had stopped didn't mean his mind had. "Why are we talking about this again?"
"So you're physically attracted to her and you like her personality. You think she's smart and you think she's fun. Boy, why haven't you asked her out yet?" Jay shook his head and took a sip of his hot cocoa. He couldn't believe they were even discussing this when Bart was so obviously head over heels for the girl.
Bart sighed. He hadn't wanted to go through this again. Not after Tim had stayed the night in the apartment. "Jay, do you know who Cassie used to go out with?"
The older Speedster thought for a moment and then answered, "Superboy."
"Right. Superboy. Somebody who deserved a girl like Cassie. And the kind of guy Cassie deserves." Letting out another, heavier sigh, Bart slid down into a slouch. "I'm no Conner, Jay, and that's what Cassie should have. She doesn't need someone who she'll always have to worry about holding back on her strength with, or who'll wake her up in the middle of the night with his nightmares, or who has an evil clone - damn Inertia - running around wanting to kill him. You want to know why I haven't asked her out, Jay? Because she doesn't need the problems that come with dating me."
"Shouldn't you at least let her decide that? You're not being very fair to her. Give the girl some credit. Joan and I have talked about the way she looks at you when you aren't looking. I think, and Joan does too, that she likes you. I also think you should give her a chance."
"I've never been more than a friend or an annoying little brother to Cassie, and that's not going to stop just because we're living together." Bart downed his cocoa in a few gulps and stared into the empty mug.
Jay sighed and shook his head. "If you say so, Bart."
Frowning at Jay's tone, Bart turned a frustrated gaze onto the older man. "What?"
"If you're so stuck on your own issues that you can't see what's right in front of your face… well, I can't make you."
"I have issues?" Bart slid farther down the couch. "Great. Even more incentive to ask her out."
"You just listed a few off to me, Bart!" A shake of his head clearly told about the older man's exasperation. "Look, you're a good guy. You're an amazing kid with all this heart and a great personality. You've got power. You've got her eye. You just don't seem to want to see it and, frankly, I'm a little worried. Is everything okay, Bart? Is there something wrong that you aren't really telling us about?"
"No, there isn't. And I'd meant- Never mind. Forget it." Getting up, Bart went into the kitchen to put his mug in the sink, then went back to the living room to reclaim his coat. "I'd better go. I have things I need to do."
Jay stared at him with worried eyes for several long moments before nodding. "Alright. Good night. Stay out of trouble."
"Yeah, I know. See you later, Jay." Bart managed a small smile and left.
"What was that all about?" asked Joan as she poked her head into the living room from the foyer not a minute later, grocery bags in her arms and snow in her hair. "Jay, is something wrong with Bart? I just saw him on the driveway and he looked… almost depressed."
"He's convinced himself that he's unworthy of the lovely Miss Sandsmark's affections." Getting up, he kissed Joan's cheek and took the bags from her.
"Oh dear. Do I want to know?" Putting her coat away, she followed him into the kitchen as she brushed the snow out of her hair.
"I'm getting worried about him, Joan. More so than I have been at any rate. Maybe… we should talk to Cassie. But then, I don't want to go over the poor boy's head and hurt his feelings either."
"Would talking to Cassie even help? It might hurt their chances if she thought we were pressuring her into doing something." Joan took the bags back from Jay and set them on the counter. "Put this in the pantry, please?" she asked, pulling out a large soup can.
"You're right. I… just wish he'd get out of this… this funk is what Wally would have called it." Taking the can, Jay turned to the pantry and pulled it open.
"Did he tell you why he thinks he's unworthy of Cassie?"
"He thinks he's got too many problems and that she shouldn't have to deal with him because of them."
"That's… sweet, in an odd and worrying sort of way." Wearing a sad smile, Joan put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "They'll figure themselves out, Jay. I know they will. They care too much for each other not to, if the way they look at each other is any indication. They just need time."
"I hope you're right, sweetheart. I hope you're right," Jay murmured with a soft sigh and kissed her cheek again.
On to Chapter Five...
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Beware little kids and their oh-so-innocent questions.
Summary: Cassie, looking to move out of her mother's house, gets a surprise when the superhero community sends her to the apartment of an old friend.
Moving On
By Nightmare and Winged Dreamer
Chapter Four
-----The Flash Museum, Business Hours. The Keystone Elementary Fieldtrip-----
Taking a moment to catch her breath after a windy but very grade-school-level explanation of the very basics of the Cosmic Treadmill, Cassie put her hands on her hips and huffed at a stray lock of hair that had slipped from its binding to fall over her brow. The kids had only been there for an hour, and she was already feeling frazzled. So far she had been asked if the Flash really existed, what a Speedster was, why wasn't the Flash called just called the Fast, and yet again what she would do if she met the real Flash in public. The newest question and one she hadn't been able to truly answer had been whether or not the Flash could win in a race against Superman. Resolving to ask Bart that as soon as she got a moment, Cassie turned her attention back to the children, watching them with mindful eyes as they stared at the Cosmic Treadmill in perplexity and/or awe. A few of them were starting to look bored, so she figured they should probably move on… in another moment or two.
A slight draft tugged at her hair for a brief moment, pushing a few strands back into her face. "I thought I told you to take it easy on the coffee," murmured an amused voice from right behind her.
Startled, the blond squealed in surprise and whirled. Her eyes were huge as she stared at their impromptu visitor. Surprised gasps from behind her clearly told her that the children had turned around as well. "I… Hello," she managed by way of reply when she finally got her hammering heart back under control. The children, for the moment at least, were silent.
It was the Flash himself who stood there, in all his red and gold glory, wearing a bright grin and a mischievous spark in his gold eyes to go along with his trademark costume. Bart was never going to let Cassie live that surprised squeak down. Ever. "Hi. I heard there was a field trip today, so I thought I'd stop by." Turning his attention to the crowd of kids, Flash let his grin turn into a warm smile. "Hey, kids. You guys having fun?"
"Are you really the Flash?" asked one skeptical second grader.
Flash nodded. "Yes, I am."
The young boy crossed his arms. "Prove it."
Air quietly whooshed into the suddenly empty space where the Flash had been standing and the students behind the second grader found themselves pushed aside to make room for the adult now standing among them. "Boo."
Cassie hid a soft laugh behind her hand as the suspicious boy jumped and whirled. Milliseconds later he was cheering along with the rest of the hordes as they surrounded the Flash, bombarding him with questions and requests. Folding her arms under her chest, Wonder Girl watched with a soft smile as the Flash was nearly mauled by the overly exuberant grade-schoolers. She owed Bart big time after this. Even the parents were getting in on the excited chatter.
"One at a time! One at a time!" called Flash over the noise, holding back a laugh at the sheer excitement surrounding him. "You." He pointed at one of the first-grade girls. "What's your name?"
The little brunette flashed him a jack-o-lantern grin. "Alexa."
"Hi, Alexa. What's your question?"
"Who would win if you raced Superman?"
Oh boy. Of course Bart would choose a kid with a hard-to-prove question first. At least he could give an honest answer, even if they wouldn't all believe him. "I would."
Sidling up to Cassie as the children expressed a mix of disbelief at the claim and pride in their resident superhero, one of the first grade teachers praised, "Thank you so much for doing this. I don't know how you got him to show up, but this has just become our best field trip ever."
"Honestly, I didn't think he'd show up. He's pretty busy just living a life and being a superhero and I was leery about asking him, but I'm glad he made the time. The kids look really happy." Smiling affectionately as she watched Bart interact with the children, Cassie tipped her head ever-so-slightly and wondered, briefly, what it would be like to be married to him with kids of their own.
The teacher smirked knowingly at the openly smitten expression on Cassie's face, reminded of the days when she had been young and in love. "The children aren't going to stop talking about this for weeks. Do you think-"
"Is she your girlfriend?" Silence fell onto the room like a ton of bricks, all eyes landing on the second-grade girl innocently pointing at Cassie.
Completely stunned by the question, Bart spent a relative few hours staring at the girl, trying to wrap his mind around the words that had come out of her mouth. Was Cassie his girlfriend? Oh god, Bart could only wish. Only in a perfect world would Cassie ever even consider being his girlfriend. Looking up at his roommate, he watched as a bright pink blush blossomed on her cheeks, and Bart knew what it meant to be totally, utterly mortified. "No, she isn't," the Flash answered after one second of real time had passed, hopefully not too fast to seem odd.
"N-no. No, I'm not. What makes you think that?" Cassie was embarrassed, but completely curious to find out what it was that had this little girl thinking that she and the Flash were dating. She wanted to be. Oh, how she wanted to be Bart Allen's significant other, and he was certainly old enough to be now. She just hadn't figured out how to "snare" him yet without embarrassing them both and without making his low self-esteem flare.
The little girl shrugged. "I dunno. Just that you were lookin' at him like my big sister looks at her boyfriend before my other sister yells at them to get a room."
Cheeks flaming even hotter, Cassie's expression went from interested, slightly embarrassed and composed to outright embarrassed and flabbergasted. "I… I… think we should be moving on. Flash, will you be joining us for the rest of the tour?"
Shaken out of his shock at what the girl had said by Cassie's almost desperate question, Bart managed a stiff nod. "Uh, j-just for a few more minutes." The disappointed groans from the crowd around him helped the Flash find more of his footing. Disappointed kids he could handle. "I'm sorry, kids, but I have to be leaving soon," he apologized with a smile.
"I think we should all say thank you to the Flash for dropping by to say hello. Remember, he keeps this city safe by helping the police apprehend the bad guys, and he's got to be both a normal person and a superhero. Can you imagine leading two lives?" The head shakes Cassie got were adorably emphatic, and she began to herd them toward the next exhibit, telling the parents where to go and lingering behind so that she could have a word with the Flash.
As Cassie neared the Flash while following the children and their chaperones, she gave him an almost shy smile and murmured, "Thank you. You didn't have to do this."
Bart shrugged and tried not to look as shy as he felt. There was no way he'd be able to get the girl's words out of his head and he knew it. As if he didn't have enough reasons to be distracted at work. "I figured that since you suggested it, you really wanted me to show up. Anyway, uh, my lunch break's almost over. I'd better get going." Putting on a warm smile, the Flash said a quick, "I'll see you later, Cass," before disappearing.
That smile stopped her cold, and Cassie stared after the bright red and gold blur until a throat cleared beside her. Starting for the second time that afternoon, Cassie spun, meeting the eyes of the museum curator. "Uhm, sorry, I…"
"Finish up with the kids. Then come see me in my office."
Stomach going a cold, she nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Good." He walked off with a small nod and a smile.
Turning back to the field trip, the demigoddess let out a small sigh, recollected herself and moved after the kids.
-----A Few Hours Later-----
Wiping sweaty hands on the sides of khaki-covered thighs, Cassie paused outside of the curator's office, licking lips gone suddenly dry. In the few weeks that she had been working in the museum, Cassie had never been called to this office. Logically, she reasoned that she couldn't possibly be in trouble because she hadn't done anything wrong. Irrationally, she couldn't help but worry. Raising a fist, she checked her strength just to be safe and rapped gently on the door.
"Come in." Dexter Myles, long-time curator of the Flash Museum, put down the paperwork he had been reading and smiled as Cassie entered the room. "Ah, Cassie. Take a seat, please." He gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk.
Flashing a nervous smile, Cassie nodded a little stiffly and slowly settled in the chair. "Uhm, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I did." Leaning forward, Dexter clasped his hands on the desk. "I wanted to say that it was a brilliant move to ask the Flash to make an appearance during the field trip. I don't know how you did it, but I'm glad you did." A knowing, amused glimmer appeared in his old blue eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be friends with him, would you?"
"Not really. I happened to run into him and surprisingly managed to pounce him before he got away. I - I didn't actually think he'd come…" Blushing at the implications in Dexter's eyes, Cassie toyed with a fingernail and stared down into her lap.
White brows lifted in disbelief, accompanied by a very amused smile. "Mmhmm. Well, if you ever happen to 'run into' him again, please tell him thank you for coming and ask him if he could come to any of the other field trips. You have the most recent version of the event schedule, yes?"
"Unless there've been updates since last week, I do." Lifting her gaze, Cassie smirked. "I can't promise anything though. It's not like I can get a hold of him any time I want."
"Of course not… Cass." Dexter's mustache kept twitching as if he was holding back laughter.
"You… heard that?" The blond winced a little, praying that her boss hadn't completely figured her out. She didn't need that kind of grief. She remembered Gateway City's response to Cassandra Sandsmark and her alter ego all too well.
Old blue eyes blinked at her with complete innocence. "Heard what? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Now, Cassie, I was wondering if I could run a theory by you," he said, dropping the act.
Relieved by Dexter's response, Cassie tried not to let it show too much and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"
"The Flash, the one we have right now. I've been wondering who exactly he is. He obviously isn't Jay, since Jay has no reason to put on the Scarlet Speedster costume. It can't be Barry. He's been dead for years, God bless his soul. A lot of people think the Flash we have now is Barry's successor, returned after a year's absence. Others think it's the second Kid Flash, grown up and bearer of the mantle now. What do you think?"
"Uhm, I… well, I guess…" Stopping herself, Cassie took a small breath and sighed. "The second Kid Flash hasn't been seen with the Titans. In fact, he hasn't been seen at all. A lot of superheroes needed time to recuperate after the Crisis. Superman… uhm, some say Batman. Those that believe in him anyway. Even Wonder Woman. I guess, it could be Barry's successor, but it could also be the second Kid Flash since I haven't seen a Kid Flash in forever." Slender shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "I haven't noticed a change in costume, but… there might be other ways to tell."
Dexter nodded and thoughtfully pursed his mouth. "Mm. So, if you had to bet on Barry's successor and Kid Flash graduating into the Flash role, which would you choose?"
"I've noticed that this Flash is a lot less cocky than Barry's successor was. He's sweet, not that the third Flash wasn't, but he's less flirtatious and more…" Fishing for the best word to describe Bart, Cassie thoughtfully looked toward the ceiling. "Clumsy-charming, I guess."
"So you would bet that what we have is a fourth Flash, not a return of the third."
"I would, I suppose." Cassie nodded and tipped her head. "But I could be wrong."
"Right. Thank you, Cassie. That makes six votes for a return of the third Flash, nineteen for a fourth Flash, and one for Barry's ghost come back to haunt us." Dexter's smile was lopsided as he made a tally mark on a piece of paper taped down to the corner of his desk.
"Not a problem. Uhm, I should probably be getting back out on the floor. Jill could be either totally bored or completely swamped. You know how it is."
"Of course, of course. Thank you for stopping by, Cassie. Oh, and don't forget to keep a copy of the event schedule on you… just in case." Dexter winked at her.
"Yeah. Of course. If I see him, I'll see what we-uh-I, I mean he can do." She was on her feet in a few seconds and out the door in a few more. Once outside, she paused and leaned against the wall beside Dexter's office to catch her breath. There had been a surprising amount of pressure in that room despite the fact that the old curator hadn't outright asked for the fourth Flash's identity, and had in fact denied having any assumptions about Cassie's relationship to the Flash while hinting that he had a few ideas at the same time. Unsure of exactly how she should be taking Mr. Dexter Myles at the moment, she pushed off the wall and returned to the museum floor, resolving that if nothing else, she could expect him to be discreet and considerate.
-----Later That Same Afternoon-----
Bart couldn't have gotten out of work a minute too soon. The instant he was done punching out at the plant and confident that no one was looking at him, he had taken off at superspeed for Jay's house, where he had promptly flopped on the couch with his face buried in a pillow. He didn't care that he was still in his plant uniform or that, with his coat on, he was quickly overheating. No. All Bart wanted was something - anything! - to take his mind off his impromptu trip to the museum and the young voice in his head asking if Cassie was his girlfriend.
"Something the matter, Bart?" asked a kindly voice from behind him. Jay stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching him with two steaming mugs of cocoa already in hand. He'd heard Bart's entrance and had prepared the hot chocolate as a greeting. He hadn't realized it might end up being a comfort drink as well.
Muffled by the pillow, Jay just managed to make out the words, "I can't go home."
"Can't go home? Well, why not?" Surprise was evident in his voice as he settled on the couch beside the younger Speedster.
"Because I had the most embarrassing lunch break today and there's no way I'm going to be able to look Cassie in the face for a week, at least."
Jay chuckled and offered the boy a mug. "What exactly happened?"
Feeling the mug tap on his arm, Bart extracted his face from the pillow and sat up to take the hot drink. By the end of the ten minutes it took to tell the story, his face was red for the second time that day, and it wasn't from the steam rising off his cocoa. "And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day! If I go home, it'll just get worse."
Shifting, Jay settled back on the couch and cupped the mug with both hands. "Well, I've been meaning to ask you this anyway. I suppose now is as good a time as any. How exactly do you really feel about Cassandra, Bart? I don't even need to ask about the chemistry. Joan and I noticed that almost immediately, but it would help me help you to know how you honestly felt about her."
Jay could almost see the wheels in Bart's head stall at the question. There were so many ways to answer that. They started at Bart's inability to get Cassie's smile out of his mind's eye and only went downhill - and more private - from there. "How do I feel about Cassie? Uh… Well, I… I like her. I like her a lot. I mean, we were on two teams together. She's one of my best friends."
"Superheroing aside. How do you feel about Cassandra Sandsmark? How would you feel if she lost all of her powers and could never be Wonder Girl again? I ask because it's important to look at the woman and not her powers or her connections to you on any level but the heartstrings."
"If she lost all her powers, she'd still be one of my best friends. It wouldn't change anything," said Bart with complete honesty.
"Friends isn't what we're talking about, Bart. Let me be a little more blunt. Are you attracted to her?"
"Everybody's attracted to her. She's Cassie."
"Don't dance around the answer. Are you attracted to her?"
That got an awkward shrug out of the younger Speedster. "Well, yeah. Of course I am. Like I said, everyone is. Cassie's beautiful and smart and… and funny and spirited and… really cute in the morning before she's had her coffee, and she has a great laugh and a wonderful smile and…" Realizing where his train of thought was taking his ramble, Bart snapped his mouth shut and hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt, because just because his mouth had stopped didn't mean his mind had. "Why are we talking about this again?"
"So you're physically attracted to her and you like her personality. You think she's smart and you think she's fun. Boy, why haven't you asked her out yet?" Jay shook his head and took a sip of his hot cocoa. He couldn't believe they were even discussing this when Bart was so obviously head over heels for the girl.
Bart sighed. He hadn't wanted to go through this again. Not after Tim had stayed the night in the apartment. "Jay, do you know who Cassie used to go out with?"
The older Speedster thought for a moment and then answered, "Superboy."
"Right. Superboy. Somebody who deserved a girl like Cassie. And the kind of guy Cassie deserves." Letting out another, heavier sigh, Bart slid down into a slouch. "I'm no Conner, Jay, and that's what Cassie should have. She doesn't need someone who she'll always have to worry about holding back on her strength with, or who'll wake her up in the middle of the night with his nightmares, or who has an evil clone - damn Inertia - running around wanting to kill him. You want to know why I haven't asked her out, Jay? Because she doesn't need the problems that come with dating me."
"Shouldn't you at least let her decide that? You're not being very fair to her. Give the girl some credit. Joan and I have talked about the way she looks at you when you aren't looking. I think, and Joan does too, that she likes you. I also think you should give her a chance."
"I've never been more than a friend or an annoying little brother to Cassie, and that's not going to stop just because we're living together." Bart downed his cocoa in a few gulps and stared into the empty mug.
Jay sighed and shook his head. "If you say so, Bart."
Frowning at Jay's tone, Bart turned a frustrated gaze onto the older man. "What?"
"If you're so stuck on your own issues that you can't see what's right in front of your face… well, I can't make you."
"I have issues?" Bart slid farther down the couch. "Great. Even more incentive to ask her out."
"You just listed a few off to me, Bart!" A shake of his head clearly told about the older man's exasperation. "Look, you're a good guy. You're an amazing kid with all this heart and a great personality. You've got power. You've got her eye. You just don't seem to want to see it and, frankly, I'm a little worried. Is everything okay, Bart? Is there something wrong that you aren't really telling us about?"
"No, there isn't. And I'd meant- Never mind. Forget it." Getting up, Bart went into the kitchen to put his mug in the sink, then went back to the living room to reclaim his coat. "I'd better go. I have things I need to do."
Jay stared at him with worried eyes for several long moments before nodding. "Alright. Good night. Stay out of trouble."
"Yeah, I know. See you later, Jay." Bart managed a small smile and left.
"What was that all about?" asked Joan as she poked her head into the living room from the foyer not a minute later, grocery bags in her arms and snow in her hair. "Jay, is something wrong with Bart? I just saw him on the driveway and he looked… almost depressed."
"He's convinced himself that he's unworthy of the lovely Miss Sandsmark's affections." Getting up, he kissed Joan's cheek and took the bags from her.
"Oh dear. Do I want to know?" Putting her coat away, she followed him into the kitchen as she brushed the snow out of her hair.
"I'm getting worried about him, Joan. More so than I have been at any rate. Maybe… we should talk to Cassie. But then, I don't want to go over the poor boy's head and hurt his feelings either."
"Would talking to Cassie even help? It might hurt their chances if she thought we were pressuring her into doing something." Joan took the bags back from Jay and set them on the counter. "Put this in the pantry, please?" she asked, pulling out a large soup can.
"You're right. I… just wish he'd get out of this… this funk is what Wally would have called it." Taking the can, Jay turned to the pantry and pulled it open.
"Did he tell you why he thinks he's unworthy of Cassie?"
"He thinks he's got too many problems and that she shouldn't have to deal with him because of them."
"That's… sweet, in an odd and worrying sort of way." Wearing a sad smile, Joan put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "They'll figure themselves out, Jay. I know they will. They care too much for each other not to, if the way they look at each other is any indication. They just need time."
"I hope you're right, sweetheart. I hope you're right," Jay murmured with a soft sigh and kissed her cheek again.
On to Chapter Five...