Chapter 1 - His Final Lesson

Summary: SHE was everything he had convinced himself he couldn't have and didn't want. HE was her distraction from a force she wasn't really sure she wanted to escape. Together they would question not only themselves, but each other. (Speedy & Bumblebee)





Bumblebee placed her hand on Speedy's shoulder as she smiled and spoke to him. Speedy turned his head slightly from the kitchen counter, where he had been fixing his dinner, and stared at her for a moment. As he did, Bumblebee couldn't quite understand his strange expression, so she removed her hand and took a step back to give him space as the smile fell from her face. "Dammit!" Speedy yelled all of sudden before slamming his plate on the counter and storming out the door.

Aqualad and Mas y Menos looked up from their dinner to a very confused looking Bumblebee. "What did you say to him this time, Bee?" Aqualad ask as he went back to his food, because the day wouldn't be complete if those two weren't at each other's throat about something or other.

"Nothing," she told him, as she picked up the plate Speedy had just fixed for himself. "I swear I don't understand that boy," she told her teammates as she joined them at the table. "I mean, all I did was tell him I was proud of him because of how he handled that situation at the jewelry store today," she explained. "But if I knew he was still going to act like his jerk of a self, I wouldn't have said anything."

Aqualad looked at the closed door that Speedy had just left out of. "I think maybe he has more issues than he allows us to know," he confessed.

"Please," Bumblebee began before taking a drink of her soda. "The only issues that boy has is what kind of shampoo he's going to use in the morning. Mango scented or Cucumber melon," she scoffed. "He's more of a girl than I am."

Aqualad then smiled at her knowingly. "You pay attention to what kind of shampoo he uses?"

Bumblebee looked at Aqualad with narrowed eyes. "Shut up and eat before I decide to shove it down your throat." She then heard Mas y Menos snickering about something and turned her head towards them. "Just wait until I learn Spanish," she told them as she continued with her dinner.

As they ate, Bumblebee noticed how Menos ate all of his vegetables, but how Mas just kind of poked at his peas with his fork. “For crying out loud,” she began as she picked up his spoon. Mas opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but as he did all he got was spoonful of peas. “Now be a good boy and eat your vegetables. Because the last thing I need to hear is Speedy's mouth and how he slaved over a hot stove.”

Aqualad had to cover his mouth with his hands, to stop himself from laughing out loud, but he couldn’t control the shake of shoulders as he did so, because she had threaten him, but had done it to Mas.

“Si, mama,” Mas had said quietly, but then gasped as he realized his words. Menos slightly chuckled as he watched his brother’s blushing face as he turned towards Bumblebee.

Bumblebee just stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. “I’m not even going to go there.”


Speedy sighed heavily as he sat on the built-in bench of his window seat. With one leg tucked under him he opened his windows wide as he tilted back his head and closed his eyes. The feeling of the autumn air felt cool against his exposed skin. He sat like that for along time before opening his eyes to watch the sun sink into the darkening sea. This room was one of the reasons he and Bumblebee had gotten off on the wrong foot to begin with.

Before the Tower was completed they all slept in sleeping bags in the common area as a way of getting to know each other. They had all decided that rooms wouldn't be assignment until the Tower was completed, but Speedy had worked on this room especially for himself, because he liked the view outside the window. Plus he wasn't exactly what you would call a morning person. The early morning light that came into the room Bumblebee now resided in would have drove him mad if anything.

But room placement was not the issue at this moment. What was, were the words she had told him a little while ago. He knew he shouldn't have gotten angry like that, but he honestly didn't know how else to react.

Speedy then brought his other leg up to the cushion of the window seat as he stretch out his legs as he leaned on the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He then started to remember the last conversation he had with his mentor, Green Arrow before joining Titans East. It was a evening much like the one that he looked upon now.

They had settled on top of a hillside to watch the sunset. "I guess this will be the last lesson I'll teach you for awhile," Green Arrow stated sadly.

"Do you not want me to go?" Speedy asked as he looked at him guiltily.

"No, that's not what I mean," he told his teen-aged apprentice as he smiled at him. "After today, I have probably taught you all that I can, everything else you will have to learn for yourself," he then said haughtily. "You have grown much in your time with me and I'm very proud of you." Green Arrow ruffled Speedy's hair.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Speedy frantically swatted away Green Arrow's hand. "You're messing up my do," he told him as he smoothed down his red hair with his hand.

The blonde headed man chuckle a bit as he laid down on the grass with his hands under his head. "There are more important things in life other than your appearance, Speedy."

"I know," Speedy confirmed as he pulled a comb out a nowhere. Green Arrow looked at him oddly as he wondered how he always did that, considering his outfit have no pockets and all. When Speedy was satisfied with his hair, he followed his mentor's lead and laid down looking up at the multi-colored sky. "So," he drawled before asking. "What's my final lesson?"

"Well, you are now coming of age, so I just wanted to give you a little lesson on women," he told him.

Speedy turned his head towards him as he stifled back a laugh. "I'm sixteen, if you want to talk to me about the birds and the bees, I'm sorry to tell you, you're a little too late."

"Yes, I'm sure I am," the man smiled as he resumed looking at the sky before he fell silent.

Speedy made a face as he debated something over in his head. "But you know, I wouldn't decline to listen anyway," he said when he finally spoke.

"Thought you would say as much. You were always one eager to learn," Green Arrow replied before beginning. "Speedy, tell me, what is it to be a teammate."

"What?" Speedy said in disbelief. "Is this some kind of pop quiz?" He looked at him for a response, but only got a face that told him to answer the question. He huffed slightly. "To be a teammate, is to be able to depend on someone as they depend on you. To be a teammate, is having the insight to do not what is best for yourself, but what is best for the whole. To be a teammate, is to take every member's weakness and turn it into your strength, for times when they can not," he stated in a annoyed monotone voice; he knew this stuff.

"Good."His mentor was satisfied with his answer. "Now here's a tougher question. Tell me what it is to love a woman."

Speedy thought a moment before sitting up and looking at Green Arrow. "Wouldn't it be the same thing as being a teammate?"

Green Arrow never took his eyes off the skies. "Yes, and so much more," he stated sadly.

"You sound as if you speak from experience," but Speedy's comment went unreplied. "So, how is it more?" he asked.

Green Arrow sat up and looked at the young man. "Well, I can't give you the answers. Those you have to figure out yourself. What I can do is give you the questions."

"The questions?" Speedy said to himself as the wind picked up and he brought this his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. His attempt to straighten out his hair had been in vain as the wind whipped it around wildly. "Alright, what are the questions?" he asked the older man.

The sun had finally made it's final descent and the dark sky masked the faces of both people as one began to speak. "They are simple to say the least, but unlike the definition of a teammate which can be taught, the questions I'm about to ask you will most likely be answered, when you're not looking for the answer at all."

"So what are they?" Speedy asked again before Green Arrow proceeded to answer him.

To Be Continued. . .

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