Author's Final Note: This is it. The Finale (if you want to call it that) of 'A New Addition.' God… it's been great. This was my first fic, and no matter how many I end up writing, this will probably be my favorite. There were rough patches, writers block, all the usual issues, but I got through it all to keep writing Desmond's story. It was so fun to write, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Now, without further ado, I present the final chapter.

Disclaimer: This should go without saying by now, but the only part of this story I own is Desmond Marigold.

Chapter Thirty Three

Everything Wraps Up in The End

Desmond walked slowly through the large open hall of the Watchtower. The halls were deserted, aside from the occasional hero that would pass through, making repairs. John Stewart floated down next to Desmond.

"Hello Desmond," he said. "Uh, Batman told me your name. Listen, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. Hope I didn't rough you up too much." Desmond smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving a hand. "If anything, I should apologize to you." Stewart raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" he asked. "Sounds like you think you really gave me a whooping. Maybe we'll need to have a rematch some day."

Desmond smiled. "I'd like that," he said, shaking Green Lantern's hand. His finger passed over the Power Ring, and he felt a surge of energy. Stewart smiled, and quickly flew away.

Des walked back into the central hub of the Watchtower. He found many Leaguers and Young Justice members alike there, all speaking about something or other. He spotted Green Arrow talking to Artemis, and walked over.

"Hey there Desmond," said Green Arrow. He extended a hand, and Des shook it. "It was some good work you did here. Hope we didn't rough you up too much." Desmond chuckled.

"That's what Green Lantern told me a minute ago," he said.

"Hal?" asked GA.

"John," corrected Desmond. Just then, Black Canary walked over. She wrapped an arm around Green Arrow's waist, pulled him close, and gave him a kiss.

"Happy New Year, Ollie," she said. Then she seemed to notice Des and Artemis standing there. "Oh! Desmond, Artemis. I'm so proud of you!" She flung her arms around them both, planting a kiss on each of their cheeks. "You saved us all." Desmond turned slightly red at Canary's kiss, and hoped Artemis didn't notice. As the older heroine pulled away, she looked the two up and down. "You've both grown so much…" she mused.

"Aw, come on Canary," said Artemis. "It's only been a little over half a year. Are you getting soft on us?"

"Not a chance, kiddo," said Canary, with a sly smile. Desmond couldn't help but smile as well. Everything seemed to be falling in to place; as Robin was so fond of saying, things felt 'asterous.' Desmond noticed the boy wonder talking with Batman and Wonder Woman.

"Hey, I'll catch up with you guys later," he said. "Gonna go see what Robin's up to." Before he could leave, Artemis grabbed his hand.

"Meet me on that balcony," she said, pointing. "I'll see you there, right?" Desmond smiled and nodded.

"Kids," said Green Arrow, getting a playful nudge from Black Canary.

Desmond moved over to Robin, who was speaking with two of the founding members of the Justice League. He put a hand on Robin's shoulder, and gave a nod to Batman, who returned the gesture. Wonder Woman held out a hand.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting," she said. "I'm Wonder Woman. You can call me Diana." Desmond's eyes widened at the revealing of such a mystical heroine's real name.

"I'm Shifter," he said, shaking her strong yet gentle hand. "Or, uh, Desmond."

"The son of Ra's al Ghul," Wonder Woman noted. "I've heard of your exploits, and your trials against your father. Well done." Desmond smiled and nodded a thank you.

"So…" said Robin, mostly to Batman. "What're we going to do about… the problem?"

"What problem?" asked Desmond confused.

"Nothing to worry yourself over," Batman said quickly. "League business. It shouldn't affect you or the rest of Young Justice. In a few weeks it will be sorted out." Batman left it at that. Desmond realized he shouldn't press the matter, so he left the three with a 'Happy New Years' and departed.

As he walked, Desmond realized that the intercoms in the Watchtower were still playing the chimes to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne." Without meaning to, Desmond began quietly singing along.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind," he whispered as he walked. "Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne." He didn't know where he'd picked up the words, but he somehow knew them. As he walked and sang, Desmond made his way into another, slightly smaller room. The first people he saw were Wally and Barry. He walked over, and surprisingly, Barry put an arm around him.

"Hey there, kid," he said. "Haven't seen you since Wally's party. How've you been? You know, aside from having to fight a team of superheroes for the fate of the world and all." Desmond chuckled.

"I've been good, Barry," he said. "Last night I got to kick my dad's ass, so that was fun." Barry laughed aloud, as did Wally.

"Hey Des," Wally said after the laughter died down. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Desmond asked.

"Get Artemis to be in to you?" he asked earnestly. Desmond raised his eyebrows.

"Uh… why?" he asked. "You're not… you don't…"

"Oh, no, no!" Wally assured him. "Dude, that would violate the bro code. No, I mean, things just seem so easy with you two. Believe it or not, I'm not so much the suave lady's man that I always seem to be." Barry and Desmond could barely contain their laughter.

"You don't say," said Des. "Listen man, just be yourself. You're a funny dude, you know that?" Wally smiled, and gave Desmond a fist pound. "Catch you guys later," Des said. The Flashes waved as Desmond continued walking.

The next people Desmond came across were the two Atlantians, Kaldur and Aqualad. As he walked nearer, Kaldur noticed him, and beckoned him over. Desmond walked up to them.

"My king," Kaldur said. "This is the boy I told you about. Desmond." Aquaman raised his eyebrows, seeming to size Desmond up. He stuck out a hand, and Desmond shook it.

"It's an honor to meet you, Aquaman," Desmond said, with a bow of his head. Aquaman laughed, a hearty, booming laugh.

"Powerful and polite?" he asked. "Kaldur'ahm, you certainly know how to choose your friends. It is an honor to meet you as well, Desmond of Young Justice. My protégé has told me much about you." Desmond raised an eyebrow at Kaldur, who smiled.

"I tell my king tales of all my friends on the surface world," he clarified to Desmond. "You are just one of our newest additions. You and Zatana, that it."

"Yes, but I already knew of the young magician," Aqualad filled in. "It is a shame her father was claimed by the Helmet of Fate. He was a brave and brilliant man." Desmond nodded solemnly. Then he turned to Kaldur.

"So have you seen Roy— er, Red Arrow around?" he asked the young Atlantian. "I wanted to see how he was doing. I think he's still beating himself up over the mole thing. He knows none of it was his fault, right?" Aqualad looked away.

"I'm not sure," he said. "Red Arrow seems to be taking all of this rather poorly. I haven't seen him in an hour or so. I thought he was with Green Arrow, but when I asked, the archer said he had no idea where his former protégé was." Desmond sighed.

"Well… maybe he'll come around soon," he said. "I'm going to see what else is going on. See you around." Aqualad and his king waved as Desmond walked away.

The music was still playing, and Des assumed it would go on all night/morning. He walked along a large window in the side of the Watchtower, and gazed out on the earth. From space, it was one of the most amazing things he'd ever seen. Everything seemed so small there; all his problems seemed insignificant. And in reality, they truly were. Savage was defeated, Ra's was pushed back, and the world was saved. For the moment anyway.

Zatana walked over, and stood next to Desmond. "Hey cuz," Des said, referencing their back story at Happy Harbor. "How you doing?" She smiled weakly, but it wavered. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"When… when we put the chip on my fath… um, Doctor Fate," she said quietly. "I… I tried to remove the helmet. It wouldn't budge." Desmond sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look," he said slowly. "I know everyone says that Fate is never going to let go of your dad. But… maybe, if we just wait, he will." Zatana looked to Desmond, her eyes slightly red from crying.

"You think so?" she asked. Desmond looked back out at space.

"You know, I'm not sure," he said quietly. "But here's what I know for sure. We just took out the entire Justice League, saved the earth, and our mentors. Right now, I think anything's possible." Zatana nodded gently, and sighed heavily. The two stared out at the openness of space for a while.

"You know," said Zatana suddenly. "The two of us are the newest members of Young Justice."

"Uh… yeah?" Des said, confused. "I'm aware. What of it?"

"I mean, we've been with the others the least amount of time," Z explained. "And look at all we've done. Look how far we've come." Desmond was reminded of the Matchbox 20 song for a moment, and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. But then, he realized, she was right. For the past few months, Desmond had done more important things than he had ever done before. He'd stopped criminals, fought his own personal demons, and saved the world. All while growing closer and closer to the people he now called his family. He loved the other team members as if they were actually related, and right now couldn't imagine his life any other way.

Desmond remembered the balcony Artemis had pointed to a short while ago. "Hey Z, I'm gonna go meet Artemis somewhere," he said. "See you." Zatana smiled, and made a joking kissy-face at Desmond. He smirked. "Why don't you go lip-lock with the boy wonder some more?" he said, walking off.

"For auld lang syne, my dear," Desmond murmured as he made his way to the balcony Artemis had decided upon. "For auld lang syne. We'll take a cup o' kindness yet. For auld lang syne." He walked up the many steps to the balcony, and when he had reached the top, he found Artemis standing there. He walked over, and she spread her arms wide. They embraced, holding each other close. It was only after a moment of silence that Desmond realized they weren't alone.

"Ahem…" someone said. The two pulled apart to find Conner and M'gann standing there, the Martian wrapping her arms around the Kryptonian's waist. "You guys want to get a room, or what?" Desmond punched Conner playfully in the chest.

"Shut up, dude," Desmond said. "You two had the same idea as us, huh?" he asked, gesturing to the balcony. The aliens nodded sheepishly. Desmond looked to Artemis, who rolled her eyes.

"There's room for everyone," she said, prompting smiles from the other three. Desmond kissed her again, and put an arm over her shoulder. M'gann and Conner kissed as well, then turned to look out into space. Artemis and Des did the same. They just stood there, arms wrapped around each other, for the longest time. A few birds flew across their vision. Desmond had no idea why the room they were in had so much plant life, or the birds, but it did help the atmosphere (no pun intended).

M'gann suddenly removed her arms from Conner. "Uncle J'onn is calling me," she said, a hand pressed to her head. "I'll see you later." She planted another kiss on Conner, and waved to Des and Artemis. The three continued to stand there, but Desmond could tell Conner was feeling kind of like the third wheel. As if to save him from the uncomfortable situation, a sound of someone gliding down was heard behind them. The three teens turned, and were more than a little surprised to see the man of steel himself, Superman, standing there.

"Hello all," he said, giving a wave. The others were too star struck to respond. Desmond had met Superman twice, and was still put into awe when he saw him in person. "Um… alright then…" said Superman. "Would you two mind coming with me for a moment?" he asked, gesturing to Conner and Desmond. The boys looked at each other, eyes wide and full of confusion.

"Uh, sure," said Conner.

"I'll see you later," Artemis whispered to Desmond, and she walked quickly away from the three heroes.

"This way," Superman said, gesturing for the boys to follow. They walked down the hall, passing a few other heroes on the way. They got waves from most, but were too confused (and nervous) to return the gesture.

They arrived in a huge room, with a large, round table in the middle. The room was covered in glass, making it like one big dome covering the whole area. Superman stopped them in front of the far glass on the opposite side of the entrance, and turned to them.

"So I hear you've taken a civilian name," he said, directing it at Conner. The younger Kryptonian seemed to snap out of a daze at the question.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Conner Kent." Superman's eyes widened.

"My name is… Clark Kent," he said. The teen's eyes widened.

"I didn't know!" Conner blurted out. "I didn't mean to—" But Superman held up a hand.

"Actually…" he said. "I like it. Conner Kent," he put a hand on his "son's" shoulder. "It fits." The Kryptonians smiled at each other a moment, but then Superman cleared his throat. "But that's not why I called you here. Obviously not, or else why would I have invited Desmond?"

"Yeah, um, why did you invite me?" Desmond asked, raising a finger to ask his question. Superman adopted a face that echoed a sort of pride, as well as a look of reflection.

"I've been watching you," Superman said. "Both of you. Well, not literally, as you might imagine. Batman, Red Tornado and Black Canary have been keeping me posted on what's been going on in your lives." Conner and Des exchanged confused looks, but let Superman continue. "I've watched the both of you grow and mature. And what I've seen above all is how close the two of you have become." It was true. Though Desmond had grown immensely close to all members of Young Justice, Conner Kent was by far his closest and best friend. The two were practically brothers.

"Desmond's my best friend," Conner provided.

"And Conner mine," Desmond said. Superman shook his head.

"I know, I know," he said. "But it's more than that. The two of you are like brothers. I see it everywhere; the way you act, the way you talk, the way you fight." Superman seemed to trail off. Desmond and Conner didn't want to interrupt his train of thought, but eventually the younger Kryptonian cleared his throat.

"You were, uh, saying?" he asked. Superman smiled gently, and walked over to Conner.

"Do you know what this symbol means?" he asked, poking a finger at the red S on Conner's shirt. Conner raised an eyebrow.

"Um, it's your symbol," he said, sounding confused at the odd question. "The Superman Shield." Superman shook his head.

"Yes and no," he said. "As you know, I'm from a planet known as Krypton. It was destroyed long ago, but before it was, there were many families or 'houses' on Krypton." He pointed to the S on his own chest. "This is the symbol for the House of El. I told you my name was Clark Kent. That's only part true. That was the name my Earth parents gave me. My true name is Kal-El." Desmond vaguely remembered Black Canary referring to Superman as Kal once before.

"Conner, if you're going to wear that symbol, I want you to know what it truly means," Superman continued. "Furthermore, I want you to be a part of the legacy behind it. Both of you." He extended his arms, as wide as they could go without looking ridiculous. "Conner Kent, Desmond Marigold, I invite you to join the House of El."

Desmond didn't think his eyes had ever been wider. Superman had practically just offered to invite Desmond into his family. Desmond had no idea what to say, and turned to Conner for any ideas. The younger Kryptonian was equally, if not more blindsided by the sudden offer. But suddenly, without warning, he did something very out of character. The boy of steel kneeled down before his father.

"I would be… honored to join the House of El," he said. "It's all I want." Superman smiled broadly, and put his hands on Conner's shoulders. The younger Kryptonian stood, and gazed deeply into the elder's eyes.

"I name you Kon-El of Krypton," Superman said, sounding prouder than any father had ever been. "Welcome to the House of El." Kon-El nodded once, a smile wavering on his lips. Superman quickly embraced his clone, his son, and held him close for a moment. When he let go, his attention turned to Desmond.

"Desmond Marigold," he said. "Like I said, the two of you are practically brothers. It wouldn't be right inviting one brother into a family and not the other." Desmond looked from Superman to Conner. His friend, with a fire in his eyes, nodded a few times. Desmond seriously weighed the options. Here he was being offered something he'd always wanted; a family name he could be proud of, and family members that loved him, and wouldn't use him.

But, despite that, Desmond shook his head.

"I'm sorry Sup—er, Kal," he said. "It wouldn't be right. I'm not Kryptonian. I'm not really your son, not like Conner is. Don't get me wrong; I'm honored. I've never felt so honored in my life. But… no. It wouldn't feel right." Conner's face fell a bit, and Superman closed his eyes.

"I understand," Superman said with a nod. "It was a lot to ask, and I respect your decision. But… I have one thing to ask you." He turned, and moved to a small keyboard on the nearby table. "Perhaps you're familiar with John Henry Irons. Owner and founder of Steelworks in Metropolis." An image popped up in the air. A man clad in what appeared to be a suit of solid steel. He wore a red cape, carried a large hammer, and on his chest was the symbol of the House of El. "But his alter ego, the hero Steel, is much better known."

Desmond had indeed heard of Steel. Some people said he was a personal friend of Superman, despite not joining the League as of yet. "I know of Steel," Desmond said.

Superman pointed to the image. "Look at his chest," he said. "Steel has adopted the symbol of the House, without officially joining it. I would be most honored and pleased if you would do the same, and become an honorary member, of sorts."

Desmond took barely any time at all to think of his response. He smiled widely, and nodded vigorously. Kal and Kon-El smiled as well.

"We'll get you a new outfit," Conner said, flinging an arm over Desmond's shoulder. "Bro."

XxXxX

Desmond and Conner, the two newest members to the House of El (well, one and a half) walked into the large central hub of the watchtower. The other heroes and teens were waiting there. Artemis walked up to Desmond.

"So where'd you guys go off to, anyway?" she asked. Desmond exchanged a glance with Conner.

"Later," he said. "We'll talk about it later." And left it at that.

The teens grouped together, standing separate from the Leaguers. The elder heroes gazed upon the younger generation, looks of pride across every face. Batman stepped forward.

"Tonight was your reckoning," he said. "In circumstances you had never been trained for, circumstances no one had ever expected, you all outperformed yourselves. And, more importantly, our enemies. Though we still have several problems to solve, and mysteries to piece together, for now, it was a victory." The teens exchanged looks, smiling to each other.

"You have done us proud," said Martian Manhunter.

"A victory to be talked about for years to come," concurred Aquaman.

"I taught them everything they know," said Black Canary jokingly.

"Now go home, and get some sleep," said Green Arrow. "So we can bust out the champagne. It is New Year's after all." Canary elbowed him in the ribs, and the teenagers chuckled.

"He's right, though," said Batman. "Go home. Rest. Forget your worries, if just for the night. You've all more than earned it." The teens nodded, waved their goodbyes, and Zeta-beamed to Mount Justice.

XxXxX

When they arrived, Wally checked the time, and informed the others it was just after one in the morning. Upon hearing this, several of the teens yawned and felt their eyes get heavy. Though it was late, the team wanted to relish a few more moments together after their recent victory. M'gann popped some popcorn and threw it in a bowl, and the team just sat around talking.

They spoke about their first days in the hero game (mostly just Robin, KF and Aqualad) and some of their favorite things about the team. They talked about their proudest moments with the others, and of future plans. One thing was clear though, through all of this conversation. Not a single one of them regretted being a part of this team.

Eventually people began to trickle out. First went Zatana, who yawned a goodbye to the others. Then went Wally. As he was walking to the Zeta-beam, Miss Martian ran over to him before he could leave. She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Happy New Years, Wally," she said sleepily. Kid Flash's face lit up like fireworks. He zipped around the room a few times, running off energy, and causing most of the team to double over with laughter. After a few more laps he sped right into the Zeta and was gone.

The next to leave was Aqualad. As he got up to leave, Desmond raised an eyebrow.

"You don't want to give a speech or something?" he asked the Atlantian teen. "I mean, you know, being leader and all." Aqualad sighed, and looked across the room.

"Looking out at you all," he said slowly. "I see a group of shining faces. Shining, tired faces. I say we all go to sleep!" The team chuckled at one of Kaldur's rare attempts at humor, and he left as well.

Robin and Artemis both stayed a while longer. The five teens chattered and laughed at what the others would say. Now that things had died down, Des and Conner took the time to explain why Superman had called them away. When they were done, the others stared, wide eyed.

"Whoa…" said Artemis and Robin at the same time. Conner and Desmond smiled sheepishly, and looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"So do we have to call you Kon-El now?" Robin joked. The team laughed, and the night continued on for a while. Eventually though, Robin stood to leave. "Goodnight guys. It's been whelming." The older teens smiled and waved goodbye to their little brother on the team.

Not five minutes later, Artemis stood to leave. "I'm going too," she said. "Want to get to sleep before dawn, you know?" Conner and M'gann waved, and Desmond got up to walk her out. As they walked towards the Zeta-tube, they said nothing. Not because things were awkward or anything, just because they were both so insanely tired. Just as Artemis was entering the Zeta-tube, Desmond spun her around, and planted a long and passionate kiss on her. She kissed back, and when they pulled apart, she had a big grin on her face.

"Goodnight Artemis," Desmond whispered.

"Goodnight Des," she said back. "Happy New Year." And she Zeta-beamed away.

Desmond walked back into the living room to find his teammates. When they had arrived at the cave, the large group of teens had just sat on the floor instead of the chairs. They really didn't care. But now, in the few minutes Desmond had been gone, it seemed Conner and M'gann had both fallen asleep. The Martian was lying on the Kryptonian's chest. Desmond smiled despite himself. He shuffled into Conner's room, grabbed the blanket off his bed, and walked back to the living room. He carefully draped the sheet over the two aliens, being careful not to wake them. He looked around, and shrugged. Grabbing a pillow off the couch, Desmond laid down at his friends feet. He placed his head gently on his pillow and closed his eyes.

Desmond Marigold fell into a deep sleep, and dreamed deep dreams. He dreamed of all he had done in the past months. He dreamed of the friends he'd made, and enemies he'd defied. But above all, he dreamed of the future. Of all that is to come.

And there is plenty.

And now it's over. Wasn't that a fun ride? Okay, I know I've said this before, but Desmond's story is nowhere near over. I have no idea when the next fic to feature Des will be, but I've already started working on it. It should be up soon-ish. To be frank, I could've just kept going on this one, but I wanted to make a new fic, since there's going to be a HUGE time jump. That being said, I've decided what timeline, so to speak, the next one will take place in. So what will it be; the next year, or five years in the future? Well, to find out you'll all need to read "A New Addition: Year Two." (it's a working title.) Goodbye for now, thank you all so much, and Desmond and I will see you all soon.