PERFECT PLACES , young justice

[03] (k)night in shining red sparkles

The question died short on her tongue when a knock sounded from the door before her.

"You better open the door because I'm not getting that."

Juniper cleared her throat. "Right," her hands smoothed down her grey sleeping tank top, pajama pants with The Flash logo—ones she got from her uncle Barry—were worn on her bottom half.

This was as neat as she was willing to get at 8 in the morning.

Her auburn hair flicked over her shoulder when she reached out to flick the lock open on the door. Her nerves were all over the place, not because of seeing her parents for the first time in a year, but because she wasn't used to their lack of preparation.

Before she knew it, Juniper was twisting the knob to open the door. There stood Beth and Carter Evans, a tearful smile lining her mother's face.

"Hi, honey,"

⌖━━━⌖

The moment Juniper Evans's parents walked through the door, Raven had made an announcement that she was heading out and would be back before her parents left to return to Central City.

Loneliness was no new concept to Juniper, constantly feeling alone among the shadows her mentor loved to hide in. It was nice to feel like she was actually sharing the space she called home with people who made it feel less empty.

However, through the joy and happiness that took hold of the young hero's senses, she tried her best—honestly—to ignore her mothers sunken face and thinning hair, the way she smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Juniper had been studying all forms of science since she could walk. She knew the signs she was seeing clear as day. Thank god denial was a psychology thing.

The Evans family were huddled on the couch, two pairs of eyes gleaming, yet teary—to an 'unbeknownst' reason to Juniper—eyes watching in adoration as their daughter very animatedly stood before them and paced talking about all her adventures and how much shes learned since coming to San Francisco.

"Oh! And there's this thing I can do where I make the red magic turn into an actual person," The young girl dramatically threw herself onto the couch next to her mother, completely ignorant to how Beth Evan's grabbed onto her husbands hand for the stability from the very minor movement shaking her bones.

Carter smoothed a hand down his wife's back. "Show us, hon,"

Both of her hands came up to push her locks of hair behind her ears while she pursed her lips. "Well, I can't really. . . control it?" The only response she got a was curious quirk of the brow from her dad. "I don't know," She shrugged. "No matter how hard I think or concentrate on one person I can never choose who I want to create with the magic."

Maybe it was the subconscious controlling that aspect of her abilities—or maybe it could've been destiny paving its path once again just like it did in her epileptic episodes. Juniper just thought of it as an inconvenience.

"We want to see it anyways. We're proud of you, June, and we want to share your excitement for these things, too," since arriving, this was the first time Beth had really spoken up.

Juniper's tiny heart only melted at the long forgotten nickname.

A smile tilted her lips when she made eye contact with her mom, attempting to create an image of the woman who birthed her.