Good day. For back round information the Light and Red Arrow is a clone plot lines are being totally ignored for this story. Seeing as this is more of a family story any possible romances will be taking a back seat to the main story, though I haven't thought that far ahead.. Also to those who read my Unravelling fiction, I am working on it. Writers block combined with other ideas developing. like this one, have meant that I don't have a new chapter yet. I know where I won't to go but don't know how to get there. There are only two to three chapters left and I am hoping to get at least one up before the New Year. I promise i haven't abandoned it, I'm just struggling with it. Thanks for your patience. Also I have a few chapters written for this so it may get updated frequently for a while and then updates may come once a month or less. I blame work. Thanks for taking the time to read. Also any feedback on the summary or rating for the story would be appreciated.

Artemis Crock was having a bad day. She had known that when her alarm had failed to go off that morning, making her a half hour late. It had been an omen for the rest of the day. Now at six o'clock at night she was trudging home with extra homework. The rain that had been pouring down all day didn't help. Artemis was soaked through and covered in mud. Though the mud, blood and slow forming bruises weren't a direct result of the weather. Her Dad in his infinite wisdom had shown up to test her. His code for attacking her until she could barely move. Her Mum had only kicked him out two days ago and he still wouldn't quit.

As Artemis slowly climbed the stairs of the apartment building she couldn't help thinking about her Mum who had only been released from prison three days ago. Artemis had waited six years for her Mum to come home. Not even her Dad's attitude or her sister's departure had been able to change her mind about waiting for her Mum.

Artemis was worried about her Mother though. She had been acting odd since she had come home. Though Artemis had known that her Mother would be different she still felt that her Mother's actions were strange. Artemis had caught her Mother staring at her several times with a look of sadness, fear and guilt. Artemis didn't think that it was anything that she had done but still found it unnerving. Artemis also had the sneaking suspicion that her Mother had turned her alarm off this morning. Artemis had no intention of mentioning it though. If her Mother wanted to act weird than Artemis would let her.

After what Artemis considered to be the longest day of her life she finally unlocked and pushed open the front door to her home. It was only a small apartment but it was the only home Artemis had ever known.

"Artemis is that- What happened to you?"

Artemis had entered the living room to find her Mother. It was only then that Artemis considered how bad she must look. Her hair which was normally held in a ponytail was plastered across her face. Her clothes were sticking to her skin from the rain. There was a healthy coating of mud on her arms, legs, clothes and shoes. Which matched nicely with the cut's on the back of her hands, the skinned knees and elbows, the miscellaneous cuts and grazes on her exposed and covered skin and the rather nasty gash she had above her left eye.

"Artemis..." her Mother spoke whilst examining Artemis.

"It was Dad." Artemis wasn't stupid enough to lie.

If she were part of a normal family a trip to the hospital would probably been occurring about now. As this was her family Artemis stood frozen in the doorway while her Mother inspected her injuries.

"Alright I'll get the first aid kit, you sit on the couch."

Artemis followed her Mother's directions without question. While Artemis waited she noticed an unaddressed envelope sitting on the coffee table. Any other teenager might have looked inside but Artemis knew better. For the same reason she followed her Mother's directions without question, she ignored the curiosity welling within her. As much as she loved her Mum there had been a time where she was almost as bad as Artemis's Dad. Artemis had learned very early to do what she was told and to leave her parents things alone.

Eventually Artemis's Mother wheeled back in, balancing a tea-tray on top of the first aid kit that was in her lap. Her Mother handed her the tea before opening the kit and tending the gash above her eye.

Artemis sat still until her Mother was finished before looking at the tea in her hands. Artemis had thought it was her Mother's but now she wasn't so sure. Studying the tea Artemis thought that it looked a bit funny but the warmth it was generating against her hands was nice.

"Drink up. It's a new blend that I'm trying and I added some painkillers to it for you."

"Thanks Mum."

Artemis began to drink the tea but stopped almost immediately, gagging on the taste. It was very bitter and the painkillers gave it a strange flavour. Artemis downed the rest in one go though when she realised that her Mother was glaring at her.

Twenty minutes later and Artemis realised that something was very wrong. Her Mother was in the kitchen washing up the tea-cup and putting the first aid kit away when Artemis figured out there was something in her tea other than painkillers. When she had started feeling drowsy she had brushed it off because of the day she had. When she fell sideways so that she was lying on the couch and found that she couldn't use her arms to get back up she realised that her Mother had drugged her.

Artemis could feel the heaviness of her own body and could see her eyelids slowly beginning to droop. It was at this point Artemis felt someone lift her legs up and tuck them underneath her on the couch. It had to be her Mother. Then Artemis felt her drawing a blanket up and over the top of her. Artemis hadn't realised until then how cold she was, she had been shaking. By this point Artemis was fighting the sleep and confusion that were threatening to take her under. Then her Mother rolled into what was left of her vision. Artemis felt her running her hand across the top of her head. Artemis tried to speak, to say something but her mouth wouldn't move. Some sort of noise must have some out though.

"Shh, Artemis. It's alright. Just let go. I'm sorry. So very sorry. Just sleep now it's alright. Everything will be alright now. You'll be safe at home. They won't be able to get to you. Just relax. It'll be okay now. Shh, Artemis."

It was the last thing Artemis heard as the drugs and confusion finally overwhelmed her exhausted body.

Paula Crock waited until Artemis was asleep before finishing what she had started six years ago. She addressed the envelope and placed it against Artemis's sleeping form. She then rolled herself out to the kitchen, grabbing the phone as she went. On the kitchen table was a special cup of tea that Paula had made for herself. It included several different poisons, some sleeping pills and a few other miscellaneous drugs she had found and added to make sure that she overloaded her liver. One way or another she was not coming back from this. Paula took a few minutes to reflect on her life and the guilt that was driving her to do this, then swallowed the cup of liquid in one.

Before it had the chance to enter her system Paula dialled the number she had paid a small fortune for and waited. After several rings the owner of the phone picked up.

"Hello, this is Commissioner Gordon. Who is this?"

Paula sighed in relief before speaking. She was worried that the guy had given her a fake number.

"Hello my name is Paula Crock. You know me better as Huntress. Three days ago I was released from prison and today I am committing suicide. Artemis is lying unconscious on the living room couch. Earlier my husband, who is also the criminal Sportsmaster assaulted her, I just drugged her. There is a letter with Artemis explaining everything. Take her home Commissioner. It's been fifteen years. Please take her home."

Police Commissioner James Gordon had received a lot of strange phone calls in his time. He was a police officer after all and this was Gotham but the phone call he had just received had to take the cake. After spouting off about who she was and what she was doing the woman had given him an address and hung up. He was now racing across town to save her life.

When he had gotten the call, Jim had been in the reception area of the station. He had been able to get the word out quickly. He was joined by three other patrol cars and two rookie officers that he had grabbed at the station. The address checked out but was on the wrong side of town. Some big new bank had opened up on the opposite side of the city and most of the force was deployed there for the day.

As they raced across Gotham's streets, Jim kept coming back to the phone call. Was she talking about her daughter? Who was he supposed to take home? And what did any of this have to do with fifteen years?

He pushed those thoughts aside as the building came into view. The tires on the cars screeched, alerting the neighbourhood to their arrival. Jim and the two rookie officers were joined by another patrolman as they entered the building. Taking the stairs two at a time, they skidded to a stop in front of the apartment door. Normally they would get a key but under the circumstances Jim had the patrolman kick the door in.

They entered a hallway with five doors leading off from it. Three were on the left, two were on the right. Jim took the first door on the right. The most noticeable thing about the room was the old couch facing towards the T.V. and away from the door. Seeing no threat Jim turned around to see one of the rookies had cleared the master bedroom and the other had cleared the bathroom.

"In here." The patrolman called out. He was in the last room on the right, which turned about to be the kitchen. He had already cleared the last room on the left which was a second bedroom. Jim entered the small kitchen to see a woman slumped on the floor. She had fallen out of her wheelchair. The patrolman shook his head after checking her pulse. Whatever she had taken had done the job. It was only while looking at the woman's body that he remembered the telephone conversation and the girl named Artemis. Without a word Jim got up and ran back through the adjoining door to the living room.

Lying there on the couch under a blanket was a teenage girl. She looked to be only a little older than his own daughter. Which Jim realised as he approached would make her about fifteen. As Jim knelt beside the couch he held his breath. He put his fingers against her neck and waited. When he felt the strong thrum of a pulse against his fingers he released the breath he was holding.

He studied the girl's face watching her breathe slowly. Her blonde hair was wet, tangled and in places plastered against her skin. He pushed some of it away from her face and took note of the way her brow creased. Even in sleep the poor girl looked distressed. He also took special note of the gash above her left eye. It had been treated but it still looked nasty and there was a bruise forming underneath it. When she shivered Jim was shocked for a moment before realising the she must be cold. He pulled the blanket back and found that she was wearing the clothes that she must have worn to school that day. They were absolutely drenched and covered in mud. They were also torn in places. Leaving exposed abrasions, cuts and bruises.

"The paramedics are here." The patrolman informed him.

Jim wrapped the blanket back around the girl and then pulled off his trench coat and added that to the bundle. He then lifted her into his arms and carried her down to the waiting ambulance. It was still raining outside as the ambulance took her away when one of the rookies handed him an envelope that had been on the floor next to the couch. It was addressed to him.

Opening the envelope and reading the letter Jim sighed and rubbed his eyes. The letter was even weirder than the phone call but considering it was Gotham and the Joker wasn't involved, Jim was slightly relieved. Circumstances what they were Jim had a nagging feeling that the letter was real and that it was the truth. If that was the case then he was about to solve Gotham's greatest missing person's case and reunite a family.