Gemma and Jenny had purposely gone to Big Belly Burger after the gala with Javier in hopes that if they stayed out long enough the Reyes would all be in bed by the time they got home. It wasn't that they were avoiding them all, it was more specifically trying to avoid Jaime. They Reyes had left the gala early undoubtedly tired from their flight, and although Gemma did feel a little guilt for avoiding them she also wasn't ready for any questions that they might ask. Gemma would rather deal with it all tomorrow than tonight when she was already too physically and mentally exhausted.

"Goodnight girls." Javier said as the car came to a stop in front of the mansion. It was a relief to see that all the lights were off, meaning that if they were lucky all the Reyes were asleep. "If you want Jaime kicked out call me I will do it gladly."

Gemma smiled knowing that Javier would really do it if she asked. Like Jenny he wasn't very fond about Jaime anymore, which was a bit of surprise considering that they two them used to get along so well. There had been nights when Gemma would come home to find Javier and Jaime drinking beers in front of the TV and watching soccer.

"I'll keep that in mind. Get home safe." Gemma said as she opened the car door and stepped out having completely forgotten how cold it was. Octobers in Metropolis tended to have the most rain and Gemma knew it was only a matter of time before it started raining.

Jenny and Gemma waited until he completely pullout of the driveway before walking up the steps to the door.

"Do you want to go get brunch tomorrow?" Jenny said softly as Gemma looked through her bag for the keys. They always got brunch anytime that Jenny visited.

"Brunch sounds good." Gemma said as she unlocked the door to the house secretly dreading to step inside but also so exhausted that she wanted to go to bed. Not to mention how badly her feet were killing her. "But I don't know about the bottomless mimosas I always get a terrible headache after."

Jenny stopped and although it was dark Gemma could see just how offended she was. "What's the point of brunch if we aren't doing bottomless mimosas?"

"True." Gemma said really not needing much to be convinced even though she really did get horrible headaches after. She paused for a moment have a moment having forgotten that the Reyes were staying over, but the black coat the she didn't recognize brought it all back. With that came the realization that maybe some to them would want to tag along to brunch, but that was something that she wanted to worry about later.

For all she knew Jaime would be gone by morning and she wouldn't have to worry about him at all.

As the began walks up the staircase Jenny pulled out her phone, the light coming from it was almost blinding in the darkness. "I'll text Brenda maybe she's awake."

"Text me what she says." Gemma said as they stopped at her bedroom door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight"

Kicking off her shoes the moment she stepped into her room Gemma turned on the light. She froze at the sight of the a bouquet of pink hydrangeas on her bed. They were here favorite flowers and yet she found herself walking towards her bed grabbing the flowers and the note beside them quickly tossing them in the trash bin in the corner of the room. Gemma almost considered throwing them out the balcony window but that seemed a little dramatic, even for her.

As she got ready for bed she did her best not to think about the flowers and the note that were sitting in her trashcan. Because what did he really believe that flowers would accomplish?

Though they clearly had done a lot of damage because now she couldn't get him out of her head.

Time really was taking its sweet time erasing him completely from her heart.

Gemma had been doing such a great job ignoring the fact that she missed Jaime, but now knowing that he was under the same roof as her she just couldn't find sleep. She hadn't had a sleepless night in months and it felt like all the progress that she had made the last couple of months was for nothing. She wasn't sure how lone she lay staring at the ceiling but when her mind began to wonder what room Jaime was possibly sleeping in she had enough of being in her own head.

She needed to think about something that wasn't Jaime. With a sigh Gemma sat up pushing the covers off knowing that there was only one thing that would get her mind off of him. Quickly she changed out of her pajamas into jeans and a sweater that would keep her warm enough to fight off the cold. Seeing that it wold probably rain soo she also grabbed a coast before heading out of the house.

She would return early in the morning to get ready for brunch with Jenny and Brenda.

It was so quiet that the soft buzzing noise was unmistakable. Before she had a chance to turn around and confirm it for herself Blue Beetle was landing a couple feet in front of her. Gemma immediately covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from screaming.

"Gemma." He said as the armor that covered him face melted away so that she could see his face. Instinctively Gemma took a step back removing her hand from her mouth feeling her heart racing in her chest. Whether that was due to him scaring her or if it was just seeing him that had her heart acting crazy she didn't know. And she didn't want to know. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

Gemma wasn't entirely sure what he had been doing outside in the first place, but she wasn't about to ask either as she continued walking towards the car. She couldn't help but feel a little frustrated that her attempt to get as far away from Jaime as possible resulted in them being alone together. If she thought the universe hated her before, it was definitely confirmed now.

"I've been waiting for two hours." He said as if she should know what he was talking about.

This time Gemma was curious enough to stop and look back at him. "Waiting for what?"

"For you. The note?" Jaime replied and Gemma suddenly realized that the note had to have been asking her to meet. Again she was met with the cruel irony of it all, as Jaime came to the realization that she wasn't out here to talk to him. "You didn't read the note."

"No."

"Where were you going?" He asked as he looked down at the car keys in her hand. Gemma was about to reply before she remembered that she didn't owe him any kind of explanation. "We really need to talk. Please."

"I don't want to talk." Gemma said immediately as she tried to walk around him only for him to block her path.

"I'm really sorry about this." Jaime said and before she could ask him what he was apologizing for Jaime picked her up and they flew up. This time Gemma couldn't help but scream and hold onto him tightly. Her fear of heights very much still something that hadn't changed. She couldn't even be bad because she was too busy being scared as she didn't even try to open her eyes. Luckily they weren't flying for long because her feet were touching the ground again a couple of seconds later.

It took Gemma a couple of seconds to get her composure back as she let go of Jaime and opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Jaime repeated again but the words didn't register in Gemma's mind as she took deep breaths trying to get her heart to stop racing. "I really am sorry. I got desperate I shouldn't have done that."

Looking around Gemma slowly realized where they were when she saw the silhouette of Gotham City on the other side of the bay. They were at the other side of the city, and clearly it had been his intention to make sure that he made it difficult for her to return home on her own. Especially at this time of night.

Gemma wanted to yell at him because what right did he have to do that? But she bit her tongue not wanting to waste any words on him as she began walking in the direction of the house. It was miles away but she would get herself a taxi once she made sure the Jaime wasn't going to follow.

"Where are you going?" He asked as she walked past him.

"Home." Gemma said simply just wanting to put distance between the two of the them. She really didn't want to talk to him, she wasn't ready. There was some part of her that always knew that Jaime would come back into her life and some way but she had been hoping that when that day came she would have completely healed from what he had done.

"We're miles aways from your house."

"I know."

Jaime ran to catch up to her matching her pace. His face was completely exposed and anyone who happened to walk by would totally see Blue Beetles face. "Can we just talk?"

Gemma shook her head in disbelief, because how could even think that any of this was okay. "Now you want to talk?"

"Gemma I really fucked up."

She didn't know what to say, there really wasn't anything for her to say to that. She didn't know what he was referring to, so instead Gemma waited for him to continue.

"Just give me five minutes."

"You don't even deserve five seconds." She replied hating the slight crack in her voice. He hadn't even given her a minute five months ago to explain why he was leaving. He definitely had no right to ask for the time to do it now.

"Five words then?"

Gemma could almost laugh knowing there was nothing that he could say that could change what she felt. "Go ahead."

"I love you Gemma Ivo." Jaime said pausing to take in her reaction, only she didn't have one as she looked back at him processing his words. After a moment she rolled her eyes before walking around him and continuing walking down the sidewalk. "I just told you that I loved you and you're just going to walk away?"

She wanted to be unaffected by his words. She really did. But the truth was that suddenly all those feelings that she had locked away had broken out into the surface and she didn't know if she could push them back down, but she had to.

"You have got to be kidding!" Gemma yelled as she turned around to face him, and she knew that she probably looked and sounded crazy but she didn't care. The whole situation was ridiculous and she couldn't believe that he was actually acting offended. It was far too late for those words and now they didn't feel genuine. Like he was saying them because he thought that those words would bring out the reaction that he wanted from her. "How many times did I tell you that I loved you and you never said it back? And I always just accepted it because... well I thought you loved me even if you never said it."

"I did! I loved you then and I love you now."

Gemma ran her fingers through her hair in frustration choosing to embrace the fact that she was acting crazy.

And she almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it all was. The reality was that had he come to her sooner she would have taken him back in a heartbeat. Even if it made her stupid and naive. Even if he had completely broken her heart in a way that she didn't even know was possible. She wouldn't have cared because she had been so out of her mind in love with him. She was so in love with him that some part of her had believed that she existed for him.

Gemma would have taken him back then and there was a part of her that wanted to take him back now. But she wasn't blinded like she was before. She knew that she deserved better than someone who doubted what they felt about her. She deserved someone who was just as obsessed with her as she was with them.

She didn't deserve someone whose love was conditional.

"I love you." He said again.

Now it felt like he was being cruel as Gemma shook her head in response, feeling a lump in her throat. She knew herself enough to know that she wanted to cry and the last thing she wanted was for Jaime to see her cry. Especially when she had stopped crying over Jaime almost two months ago. "Jaime stop."

"I love you. I love you. I love you." Jaime began to say desperately like if he said it enough times maybe she would begin to believe him. But each time he said them he only made her angry to the point where when he reached out to her she found herself forcefully pushing him back. The act was so unlike her but she found herself stepping forward with the intention of pushing him again, only this time he caught her wrists. "I love you. I'll keep saying it for all the times I failed to say it before."

"It's too late for that." Gemma said as she pulled her hands away his touch causing her pain where it once brought her comfort. "You made me into some idiotic fool that I couldn't even recognize. If you really loved me then you wouldn't have thrown it all away so easily."

"You think that was easy for me?" He yelled so loud that Gemma had to look around to make sure that there was no one around, but Jaime didn't seem to care as he continued. "I was a wreck. I still am. I miss you everyday. You're all I think about. I can't get you out of my head. There's not a second that goes by that I don't love you. And I just... I just need you back. I need you like that air I breathe."

Gemma wasn't sure when she had started crying but she could feel the tears running down her cheeks. Because his words hurt more than anything, they were words that she had been wanting him to stay when they were dating. Then after he left they were words that she had long given up in ever hearing. Now here he was saying them over five months later as if they could fix everything. Like if he hadn't completely shattered her.

"Gemma please don't cry." Jaime said as he pulled her into a hug. She didn't push him away this time, but she didn't return his hug either as they stood there on the sidewalk. He held onto her tightly burying his face in her hair and Gemma wasn't sure if she was comforted at all. "I hate seeing you cry."

"I just want to go home. Take me home." She muttered into his shoulder the really stupid part of her secretly missing what it was like to have Jaime hold her.

Jaime nodded as he picked her up again and now that she was prepared for it the flight back it wasn't a terrible. When they were back home and Gemma's feet touched the ground she immediately began walking towards the house. The idea of going to the lab long forgotten, because who was she kidding? It didn't matter where she went she would always be thinking about Jaime.

"Gemma there's just one more thing I need to say." He said softly and his time Gemma did come to a stopping hoping that maybe his words would bring the closure that they both needed.

A moment that felt like it stretched on forever happened where they just stood there looking at each other. "What?

"I'm not going to give up on us. I'm here to get you back." He finally said as he stepped closer and before Gemma had a moment to react he took her face in both of his hands. "Just tell me what I have to do."

He looked so determined that it truly shocked her into silence, she just couldn't find any words to speak or the strength to move away. But there was also a feeling of her not knowing if there was anything that he could do or say to change her mind about what she had already decided was the best for her.

But when he was holding her so close and she could smell the scent that was so distinctly him it was like all the stitches that she had perfectly crafted to hold herself together were slowly becoming undone. The wounds that she believed to be scarred were now open and raw again. They were once again becoming infected by Jaime Reyes and she didn't know if there was anything to do to stop the spreading before it killed her again.

"I'll do anything." Jaime continued as he rested his forehead against hers, and it was overwhelming the effect that he still had on her. "I can fix what I broke."

Before Gemma could say anything an alarm went off on her phone. It was a very specific alarm that she knew too well, it was the alarm that alerted her that there was a security breach at Ivo Tech. The security issues were always due to vandalism outside of the building but as Gemma stepped away from Jaime to look down at her phone she realized that the alarm had been set inside of the building.

"I have to go." She told him as she pulled her keys out of her pocket oddly enough thankful for the distraction.

He followed her to the car and she should have known that he wouldn't simply just leave her alone. "What happened?"

"There was a break in at one of the labs."

"I'll take you." He offered and Gemma shook her heard without hesitation. Being around Jaime more would make everything worse.

"No."

"Come on I'll get you there faster."

Before she could turn down him offer again another alarm went off and as she looked down at her phone again she felt all the blood drain from her face. The alarm alerting her that a couple of the security guards had been badly injured. This wasn't just another vandalism.

Gemma looked up at Jaime realizing that she needed to push her pride and feelings aside because she needed him.

A/N: Only eight more chapters to go I can't believe it! I'm really excited to finally finish this book so you may see a lot more updates because I've definitely been feeling inspired.