DJ HAD SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE ROAD AS OF LATE, BUT UNDER VERY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

With her, Dick, and Rachel, it was running from incoming danger and desperately trying to defend themselves against a threat that didn't even make itself known. Long periods of time on the road were spent in mostly silence as each person in the car either sleeping or thinking about how they were going to survive the impending danger looming overhead.

But now, DJ and Gar were screeching along to the song blaring out of the car speakers, horribly (and purposely) out of tune and making the other three in the car cover their ears to block out the noise.

"Here we stand, worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two." The two yelled in sync to Journey, proving that they were correct in their earlier assumption they would bond over their shared love of vintage media.

"Sleepless nights, losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you."

"Just change the station." Rachel hollered over the overpowered coursing of Seperate Ways by Journey.

"This is a democracy, Rach. We take turns." DJ said with a smirk on her face, granting the others a slight break from the harmonized screeches.

Rachel frowned. "That doesn't even make sense."

"SOMEDAY, LOVE WILL FIND YOU."

"Ugh, somebody shut them the fuck up." Sidney yelled, lightly slamming her head into her seat with her hands firmly over her ears.

"I'm on it." Jason called back, pulling his hands from his ears and leaning forward in the trunk of their car where he sat with DJ.

As quickly as possible, before she could back away, he put one of his hands behind her head and pulled her close enough to connect his lips to hers. DJ abruptly stopped singing as her mouth was put to other uses other than annoying others with her singing. She found that she liked this better than purposely butchering the song, and she kissed back with her hands finding their way to his face.

"That's… not what I meant." Sidney said in disgust, turning down the music to give everybody's ears a break. It was still effective, however, because once DJ stopped singing, Gar found it less fun annoying the others by himself, so he brought his singing to a stop as well. The others in the car gave collective sighs of relief, especially Dick, who was driving and wasn't able to cover his ears.

"Okay, you can stop being disgusting back there." Rachel commented on disgust.

"Don't like it, don't look." Jason said, momentarily breaking away and speaking without taking his eyes off of DJ, who was trying to catch her breath enough to reconnect their lips.

"I got this." Dick said mischievously. He took a moment to make sure they were the only ones on the road. Then, he jerked the steering wheel in a hard right, sending the two who didn't have seatbelts in the trunk, right to the floor.

Dick, Sidney, Gar, and Rachel roared in laughter as Jason promptly began to call the driver a list of various cusses. DJ threw in a few of her own choice words as she pulled herself back up into a sitting position.

"Where are we, anyway?" She asked, taking a moment to peer out the window and out at the scene around them. They were speeding down a pretty much deserted road in the center of a grassy field with patches of melted snow dotted along the green. The sun had only just lowered itself behind the horizon and the moon was beginning to take it's place in the sky, and stars were starting to dot the darkening sky.

"Nebraska." Dick answered. "I'm not sure what city, but we just got to this state about ten minutes ago, so somewhere around the edge."

DJ turned back to window. They had been driving for a little over a day. They hadn't stopped for anything other gas or to get something to eat. Sidney and Dick had been taking turns driving, switching while the other got some sleep. The others had simply slept where they sat, which was difficult for Gar and Rachel who couldn't really get comfortable in their seats. But DJ and Jason were pretty thrilled about the seating arrangement, because they had about triple the amount of leg room anyone else in the car had.

She still hoped they would stop a motel soon, though, because while she might have been able to stretch out a bit more, it was still very uncomfortable trying to get some sleep on the lumpy and hard floor of the trunk.

"I'm hungry." Gar said. "Is there any chance we can stop?"

"It is about dinner time." Sidney agreed, turning to Dick.

"I'll stop at the first diner I see." Dick said.

DJ pulled out her phone and earbuds, plugging the white cord into the slot and putting them into her ears. She scanned through her music, not feeling like listening to anything of what she scrolled through. Eventually, as she always does when she can't pick a song, she went to a playlist of classical music on some Spotify radio. She switched her phone into sleep mode and leaned back against the inner wall of the car, placing her elbow against the door of the trunk and leaning her head on her palm.

The nature around the car was so peaceful, like they were driving through a painting. As the sky grew darker, more stars followed the moon's rise higher into place, dotting the entire overhead with their white light. Star City, despite its name, was such a big city that the pollution in the air made it vidrtually impossible to stargaze, even from the highest point in the city. So whenever DJ found herself in a place where she could properly view the stars, she was always in awe.

DJ had always loved the sky. No matter the time, day or night, dark sky where the only light was the moon, or a bright blue sky with the sun basking the world in it's light. She couldn't help but admire the beauty of the colors painted overhead. When it was cloudy, she loved to sit and watch the fluffy or wispy or expansive white shapes go by. When there was harsher weather, thunderstorms and such, DJ would perch herself by her window and observe the sky be illuminated by the bright crackles of lightning striking the ground.

She loved it so much that whenever she visited with any Justice League members who had the capability to fly, she would beg them to take her up. Ever since she was little. Clark Kent used to carry her little body in his arms and soar into the clouds, high above the ground, and let her get a taste for what it felt like to soar through the air. Free and peaceful.

Her parents used to joke that the little canary was yearning to fly again. DJ would laugh along, but she really wished that sometimes she could transform into a canary and join the other birds in the sky. Stretching their wings and letting nothing but their own power and wind carry them along the blue landscape. Above the clouds, just them and the wind.

Even on patrols, DJ would spend the time in between breaking up criminal acts by using her grappling arrows and swinging herself all across Star City. Every moment was a rush. Not quite the peaceful glide she longed for, and not above the clouds, but the feeling of soaring over the streets of her home was still unmatched. The initial launch from the ground and grabbing a hold of the line keeping her and the arrow together, bringing her above the ground and going as high as the arrow went. From there she would kick off of the side of the building, get another grappling arrow from her quiver and fire it into a neighboring building, and feel the lurch of the line pulling her through the air, higher above the city.

Sometimes, when she could swing herself hard enough on the line, so hard she could release it and launch herself into the air, she would let herself just fall for a few seconds, the adrenaline pumping through her body, the wind pushing through her, it was euphoric. It made her wish that she was given the power of flight as well as her Canary Cry.

"What's got you so lost in your thoughts?" Jason's voice asked quietly, trying to keep their conversation to themselves.

DJ turned away from the sky and to her boyfriend. She couldn't help but smile, finding him just as beautifully captivating and thrilling as the sky. "It's not important. I love you."

Jason raised an eyebrow curiously, but still gave his answer. "I love you, too. You're in weird mood."

Chuckling, DJ pulled her earbuds from her ears and swiped away the Spotify app, bringing a stop to her music. "Just thinking."

"You're doing that thing again, aren't you? When you just look at the sky?" He asked. There were several times in their relationship where he would find DJ just gazing longingly at the above.

"What, you're telling me you don't find the sky to be literally so enchanting?" DJ asked defensively, but still with a smile on her face.

"That's not what I'm saying." Jason disagreed,his gaze on DJ becoming a lot more intense. "I just think there are more beautiful things out there than the sky."

DJ understood what he was saying, and couldn't help the faint blush on her face. Despite this, she looked back at him with the same level of love in his eyes. "You know what, I think you're right."

Jason inched closer and gently took DJ's hand in his own and laced their fingers together. DJ smiled and let her hand fall softly to the floor, staying tightly held by his, then leaned her head against his shoulder.

They stayed there in silence for a few minutes, so at peace they could have fallen asleep right then and there.

But Dick pulled them from their calm by announcing he spotted a little diner on the edge of road, and asking if that was a suitable place for them to eat.

"Good enough for me." Sidney said, cheerily unbuckling her seatbelt as Dick pulled into the parking lot.

There was only a few other cars in the small lot, and the large windows showed that other than the staff, there were few customers in the place. Dick pulled the car into a spot, and the others began unbuckling their seatbelts (except for DJ and Jason). They waited until the car came to a stop before swinging open the doors and making their way out of the car.

Sidney was going to walk around the back and open the trunk door for the two in the back, because there was no way to open it from inside, but DJ and Jason had already jumped over the seats and crawled out of the back.

"I could have just opened it for you." She told her sister.

DJ clapped her on the shoulder. "Time is money, Sid."

She pulled on her jacket as she bolted after the other teens, who had all raced inside and grabbed a booth big enough to fit their group.

"I'm never having kids." Sidney muttered to Dick as they followed the others. Dick couldn't help but let a laugh by.

When they got to the booth by one of the large windows displaying their surroundings, the nature, the other small but homey-looking houses and shops, a waitress made her way over with an arm full of menus.

DJ couldn't help but realize the other customers were giving them some curious stares. She couldn't blame them, either. They probably looked like an odd group. Both Gar and DJ still looked completely fucked up, cuts and bruises littering each of their faces. Rachel had her new gem above her nose. Not to mention her soft blue hair, and Gar's vibrant green hair. And if they had any knowledge of Star City, they probably would have recognized DJ and Sidney as Oliver Queen's daughters. Even Dick and Jason were well known enough in Gotham as Bruce Wayne's wards.

So, yeah, DJ could definitely not blame them for staring.

"You two get in a fight or something?" The waitress said as her greeting as she approached their table.

"Yeah, I won." DJ said before anyone else could put forth a logical reason to why DJ and Gar looked like they just lost a fight to a punching bag.

"Nice." The waitress, who's name tag showed her name was Patty, complimented with a smile. "What can I start you folks off with to drink?"

The teens all ordered sodas (DJ gagging when Gar called it 'pop'), but Dick ordered a simple black coffee, and Sidney requested some kind of alcohol.

"Oh, actually, I'll have that instead." Jason said, turning to the waitress.

Patty scoffed, clearly not buying for a second that he could be twenty-one or over. "You got ID, kid?"

Jason opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and huffed. Perhaps the memory of Milwaukee and getting denied entrance to the bar with Dick was weighing on his mind.

"Thought so." Patty said, then put her little notebook into the pocket of her apron. "Be right back with your drinks."

"At least you tried." DJ said, unable to help the slight teasing tone.

"Oh, shut it." Jason responded, but in a playful argument type of way.

"Well, I already know what I want." Rachel clarified, closing her menu and setting it down in front of her.

"Me, too." Sidney said, closing her own menu.

"Well, I want chicken strips." DJ announced, spotting her order on the menu, then closing it with a flourish.

"You are such a child." Sidney said, shaking her head.

DJ raised an eyebrow. "What, just because I'm not drowning my sorrows in black coffee or whiskey with dinner, I'm a child?"

"Hey." Dick said defensively. "I didn't say anything. That was all Sidney."

"Thanks."

"Everyone for themselves, Sid."

"Everyone ready?" Patty said, walking back to the edge of their table with her little notebook and pencil back in her hands.

"Yeah, can I get the cheese burger?" Sidney asked with a smile.

DJ scoffed and muttered, "Boring."

Sidney narrowed her eyes. "Baby."

DJ copied her movement. "Downer."

"Baby drowner?" Gar asked, confusion etched all over his face, clearly not understanding why they were talking about.

"No, moron." Jason said, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Gar said in offense.

"Well, why the fuck would it be 'baby drowner'? That makes zero sense."

"That's why I was confused."

"Will both of you please shut up?" Rachel asked exasperatingly.

"Sid can join that one."

Dick sighed. "You know what, I'm never having kids either."

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Dick had decided that some time to themselves could be a blessing in disguise, so he finally pulled into the lot of a relatively clean looking motel. It was better than some of the places they stayed at while on the run from the Nuclear Family, anyway. Luckily, no one complained about how they could find a better place this time. After the motel before Chicago, Gar, DJ, and Rachel were just happy that this building didn't look like it was cleaned once a year. Dick, Jason, and Sidney, however, had slept in much worse places, so a dingy motel was hardly such a downgrade.

Sidney and Dick went to check them in, DJ and Jason calling after them that they were alright with the two of them sharing a room. Dick only called back that there was a pretty fat chance that was going to happen under his watch.

"I'm gonna go get a snack from the vending machine." DJ announced, spotting a large machine filled with the kind of sugary snacks that practically called to DJ.

"You just ate." Rachel said with a scoff.

"Yeah, but we didn't get desert or anything. My body craves sugar, Rach. It needs it." DJ said back, getting her jacket and pulling it over her, sheilding her a bit from the cold.

Rachel shook her head. "Whatever."

DJ made her way over to the set of vending machines, one displaying the snacks she was after, the second advertising sodas, and the other filled with bottled water. Humming, she picked out what she wanted, pressed the buttons and inserted her money into the slot. She grinned as the bar of chocalte fell from the row and down to where she could grab it.

"Really? We just had dinner, and you're already hungry?" Sidney asked, coming out of the office, that was next to the vending machines.

DJ shrugged. "What can I say? My chocalte levels were low."

Sidney chuckled, then handed her a little key with a label hanging off the edge displaying the number '37'. "Yours and Jason's room key."

"How'd you get Dick to agree to that?" DJ asked, grinning. She took the key as they walked back over to get their luggage. Well, DJ's luggage, Sidney wasn't planning on staying for longer than a day, and was now borrowing DJ's clothes.

"You forget, little sister, than I don't need Dick's permission for anything. Neither do you or Jason." Sidney said with a slight grin. DJ returned it, relieved that Sidney was able to make Dick see some reason, and understand that she and Jason were adults and could make their owns decisions. Just because he was watching them didn't mean that he called all the shots.

They got back to the car, where Dick was unloading the bags from the back. DJ and Jason had the most stuff, because DJ's was from when she was supposed to be staying with Dick in Detroit for a few weeks, and also because Bruce had requested Dick take Jason with him to train, so he figured it would be at least a couple weeks or months, and packed for that.

DJ showed Jason their room key, a smirk on her face. Jason matched her mischievous look. "Fucking finally." He muttered.

"Tell me about it." She responded, putting the key into the pocket of her jacket.

She turned to the white suitcase settled beside the car, but Jason immediately put his hand in front of her, keeping her from teaching forward and grabbing her bag.

"What?" She asked, pulling back and frowning.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Getting my stuff?" DJ responded, but it appeared as more of a question.

"No fucking way." He said firmly. "I'll get it. Just go to the room or something."

DJ couldn't help but smile. "You don't have to do that. I can carry my own stuff."

"I know, but so can I. And I am. So go."

DJ figured it best not to argue with him, especially when he was trying to do something nice for her, so she just smiled more and agreed.

"Alright. I'll just be in our room, waiting for you." DJ tried to convey what she meant as well as she could, and judging by the way her boyfriend's gaze on her suddenly turned to something adjacent to an animal looking at it's prey, she figured he got the message. With a smirk, she turned and made her way to the stairs that would lead her to the second floor where there room was situated.

Walking along the outer hallways, she watched the door numbers rise until she reached the dark door marked with a golden '37'. She pulled the key from her pocket and slipped it into the hole on the doorknob.

She wasn't expecting much for some roadside motel in a backwater town in Nebraska, so she just observed the room with disinterest. There was a queen-sized bed against the wall to the right, a thin dresser opposite the bed, with a decade-old TV perched on top of it, and two wooden chairs situated on either of a little table in the corner.

DJ pulled off her jacket and tossed it over the chair closest to the window, and put the room key on the table. Heavy footsteps signalled that