Honkytonk Hearts Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own the animated JL universe in any way, shape or form. I wish I did, but I don't.

Author's Notes: Thanks to Dog Soup for the idea for this chapter! Also Pat/S.T.R.I.P.E will be showing up as a recurring character in future chapters as I think he's an awesome character who needs more fanfic love!

Shayera felt a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she entered the cafeteria to get herself a cup of fresh coffee. She was in a happier than usual mood, and judging by the quizzical looks that both the League members and support staff present in the room were throwing in her direction, it had been noticed. Spending yesterday with Greg had been more than enjoyable but it was a shame that he had to leave for an early morning mission.

She had barely got the chance to sit down with her drink when Mr. Terrific's voice rang up over the space-station's comm-system "All available medical staff specialising in toxicity cases report to the infirmary. The Korea team's coming in fast and one of them's down. They ran into Cheshire...."

Shayera jerked and rose to her feet fast as her wings knocked over the cup, ignoring the dark brown liquid now running along the table and down onto the floor even as the winged woman fled from the room. Vigilante had been on that assignment.

~*~

Half-running half-flying to the launch-bays without slowing down, Shayera stopped, eyes widening slightly as she saw Oliver and Dinah Queen coming from the other direction, the newly-weds forming a chair with their arms with a limp but all too familiar figure being carried between them, his head hanging low enough for his hat to hide his face.

"Out of the way!" the archer hollered as they sped past the winged woman without stopping or slowing down, heading straight towards the medical wing.

Shayera turned to watch them as she bit her lip and quickly followed them. She hadn't felt this stab of fear like this for ages, since John had briefly died during that explosion in Las Vegas.

This was different though, despite that good-natured dig about spiked water at Mari, poison scared her more than she'd like to admit. As a warrior, she knew dying on the battlefield or a mission was a death she didn't mind happening to her in the long run, but to end up dying slowly from the inside out....

Pausing, Shayera shuddered at the thought then shook her head, not wanting to dwell on that as she moved to the medical wing, taking a seat outside the room where she had seen both the medics and Greg fighting for his life though the large window. Judging from how lifeless he had looked, he had a fair bit of poison in his system.

Shifting slightly, she barely looked up as Green Arrow and Black Canary stepped out onto the walkway, passing her to get their own minor wounds looked at and shooting the winged woman concerned yet sympathetic looks as they did so.

"May I?"

The voice was vaguely familiar, as Shayera realised she had been so distracted by her thoughts that she had lost track of time and she looked up to see one of the expanded Justice League members, the one who owned one or two robot suits. Then she found her gaze drawn up to his face, her eyes lingering on his hair as her face softened and she bit her lower lip, her thoughts flashing back to her father who had the same colour hair.

"I'm not going to stop you...." Shayera replied, realising that she didn't know his real name at least, having only seen him around the Watchtower but had never worked with him out in the field before.

"It's Pat!" he nodded, then slowly sat in the seat next to her and leant forward slightly, watching Shayera out of the corner of one eye with some concern. She looked like she needed someone to talk to and despite the lingering whispers and glares she got on rare occasions, right now he saw a scared and worried person.

For a few minutes, they sat in complete silence before the older human spoke up quietly "I was in the area for a post-mission check-up when I saw them carrying Vigilante in! What happened?"

"Poison," the winged woman's reply was barely about a whisper, she needed to talk to someone, to anyone at that moment in time, "I can't lose Greg, not now."

"Believe me, I know the feeling...., I don't like to think about it, but Stargirl's two years away from being a legal adult and then I won't be able to watch her back as much as I'd like to," Pat replied, throwing a sympathetic look at the winged woman as he picked up on the emotion behind her words and for one moment, he found himself putting himself in Shayera's place, if that had happened to Courtney or Barbara then continued speaking, "But even though she's my step-daughter, part of my family and while I'm scared of losing her to matters out of my control I always chose to respect her decision when she wanted to be a superhero because I care for her and situations like this, you know as well as I do, they come with the territory."

"You don't think I don't know that." Shayera replied quietly, hardly hiding the concern in her voice and eyes as she turned her head slightly to look at him, her body language speaking her newly-discovered feelings for the cowboy in volumes.

"I know but I don't think Vigilante would appreciate being treated like he's a helpless human despite the lack of powers, same as I would, I guess," Pat commented, then gently moved to give Shayera's shoulder a gentle reassuring squeeze before he spoke up again. "And we both know you need to move past the fears, the worry of losing one another due to our so-called day-jobs or the relationship's going to end before it even begins."

Shayera nodded silently, taking everything he had just said in then a polite cough caught their attention and both League members glanced up to see a medic standing a couple of feet away, his gaze landing on Shayera. "We administered the needed antidote and got him stabilised, he's waking up and asking for you."

She got to her feet and moved to the door, pausing to glance back at Pat with a quiet "Thank you" then she moved to enter the room, the door sliding closed behind her.

"Well howdy, jus' the woman Ah was wantin' ta see," Greg commented, his voice a little weaker than usual as he slowly hauled himself against the pillows like even that was something of a struggle, his body still recovering and chuckled drily as he patted the shoulder where he had been stabbed. "Ah think Ah'm needin' something kissed better."

"You idiot!" Shayera cried, smacking a hand against his chest, then she smiled slightly as he moved to gently rest a hand against her cheek, her voice dropping to a whisper "Don't you scare me like that again. I can't lose you too."

That said, she took a seat in the chair next to the medical bed and leant forward as her hand sought his, their fingers intertwining before she studied him with a questioning look.

"What do yer want?" the cowboy glanced at her and raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I think you own me a song, cowboy," Shayera replied with a tiny smirk.

A few seconds later, the lyrics to Greg Saunders' most popular love ballad drifted softly out of the room.

* * * * *

I'd like to say I'm making this up as I go along, I kind of suck at writing alien cultures and there are some JLU characters that I don't felt confident enough writing beyond brief cameos or mentions like John Stewart.

Also couples to expect in this series other than the main pairing - Superman/Lois Lane, Flash/Giganta, Green Arrow/Black Canary, Fire/Ice, Shining Knight/Zatanna, other pairings may or may not wriggle their way in during later chapters!

And I'm kind of on the fence about GL/Vixen staying together now. I shipped them when I started this story but after thinking long and hard about it, while I have nothing really against the character, considering the way he treated/treats both his ex and his current girlfriend in the show, I don't think John deserves either woman!