Author's note: Thank you once again Inu-midoriko for pulling my tail out of the fire. I hope that this story will be another wonderful journey in our partnership! You are my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without you around. I hope that everyone enjoys this story and please feel free to review it!


It felt like knives were stabbing into the soles of her feet as she obeyed the gym teacher and struggled to do at least one lap around the track so that the teacher couldn't accuse her of using her handicap as an excuse to slack off. Even though it was slightly nippy that morning, the dark brown-haired young woman was panting and sweating as though it was hot out. Because she was wearing shorts, her stick-like blue tinged legs were on display for everyone to see. She was so focused on what she was doing, she didn't seem to notice or care that the other students in the class were literally running rings around her.

"Pick up the pace or you'll trip someone." mocked a tall seventeen year old. He had been one of the better runners of the class and was passing the girl without any trouble at all. He had the nerve to slow to her pace. "Come on, you can push a little faster." he glared at her, already knowing she was unable to go any faster than the pace she was pushing. "Don't think you're getting special treatment."

Resting all her weight on her right side, she only smiled slightly and let her left crutch stick out a little more. "I'd like to see you eat the earth you prince of dirt." She said in between pants as she braced herself for impact.

The male teen chuckled at her. "That would be the day. However, that spot on the ground happens to be reserved for you. Have fun chewing dirt 'road runner'."

Not wasting her breath to answer, the smaller young woman just pushed ahead as best she could, her light brown eyes staring straight ahead. She seemed assured that he would get what was coming to him.

"Heh," was all he said and passed her, knocking slightly into her shoulder knowing it would through her off balance slightly. He knew it was cruel, but being like this and seeing others suffer gave him a sense of satisfaction.

Arianna knew there was nothing she could do to stop her fall. However, she made sure she didn't go down alone, thrusting her crutch directly in his path even as her leg painfully crumbled beneath her.

The black haired teen gasped and caught himself on the palm of his hands. His hands made a slapping sound on the ground and he grunted in pain. The teen sat up and examined the damage. They were scrapped and stinging like a thousand needles but over all, except for his hands and pride, he was fine. He glared over at the fallen girl. "You goddamn klutz. You'll pay for that one."

"Chaos! Angel! Get up and keep running!" called the teacher, oblivious to the damage that Arianna might have suffered.

Chaos however, got up and ignored the fallen girl, struggling to get back up. He took off, determined to run laps around her until the teacher said stop.

Hissing softly in pain, the girl tested her foot carefully, ignoring the feel of blood as she reached for her crutches and wearily attempted to stand. Biting back a sob, she hobbled on her way, still having half a lap to go…

Once the second period bell rang for it to be over, Terry McGinnis sighed with great relief. It's not like he hated chemistry or anything, he just hated the people he was forced to be partnered with. His current partner was a slacker, a person who literally did nothing during class, tests or projects. It was a wonder he passed at all. He sighed as he made his way down the hall, heading for his locker to grab his lunch and find a quiet place outside to eat. He wished Dana could eat with him but she was taking extra help lessons in math class during their lunch so he was left to eat alone as all his other friends had the fifth period lunch. Sometimes it was annoying but other times like these, he didn't mind so much because he could just sit alone and think.

Arianna sat at an abandoned table eating something from a plastic tub, an open brown paper bag beside her. She ate mechanically, and didn't seem to really be enjoying her meal. The brown-haired girl also seemed distracted by a small embroidery hoop. Her feet ached, but she was grateful for the chance to sit down and rest. Keeping her head bowed, her attention looked solely on the patterns that were blooming on the cloth, only eating a bite when her stomach gave a grumble of impatience. Anyone looking at her had the impression that everyone in the room could disappear and she would never notice.

Terry grabbed his lunch from his locker and headed outside, intent on sitting under a tree to eat in the shade but when he looked around the tables; he noticed a girl sitting alone and couldn't help but feel for her. She must have been new because he had never seen her before and he would have recognized her from seeing her in the halls a few times throughout the years. He knew how hard it was to be at a school and know no one.

Taking a deep breath, he strode over to her table. "Can I sit with you?" he asked and gave her a polite smile.

Light brown eyes looked at Terry in surprise followed by a shy smile of welcome. "Yes you may." She replied politely, carefully poking her needle through the cloth to hold it in place. "I would... welcome... the company."

Terry grinned at her. "I know what you mean. It's hard coming to a new school and knowing nobody." he hadn't planned on talking at all during his lunch much less making a new friend but he supposed it was alright. He had nothing better to do and it'd be good if he more female friends. It could help him with understanding why Dana was so moody all the time.

"Today's my second day... and if anything it was worse than yesterday." She sighed and took a bite. "My name is Angel."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Terry. Terry McGinnis." he grinned and took out a coke and sandwich. "Why did you decide to come here? Where were you living before?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

Her heart started beating very fast, and now more than ever, she was grateful that she had dyed her hair and used colored contacts. If he knew who she really was Arianna had no question that she'd be in very big trouble right now! "Across town, my mother died recently and I had to move." She shook her head. "It's a long story." It was the truth, but not the whole truth. Arianna wouldn't stoop to lying, but that didn't mean that she had to put herself in danger by telling her story to the very last person on earth that she trusted either.

Terry raised an eyebrow and decided to push it a little further. They had a whole thirty minutes left so there was plenty of time for story telling. "We've got time." he grinned.

Mentally kicking herself for giving him the opening, Arianna toyed with her food. "She was murdered. I went to the store to get something for dinner and when I got home... I packed what I could and left after calling the cops."

Terry's eyebrows rose at that. He instantly regretted having pried further. "I'm sorry." he said softly. He changed the topic, not wanting to dwell on something that she must surely find painful to remember. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child. Mother took me in and raised me as her own." Arianna replied. "She was the only one I was really close to; the rest of the family was nice to my face but..."

Terry nodded, understanding what she meant. It was funny; he had an adopted cousin that was kind of the black sheep of the family. He shook his head; she looked completely different from his cousin. He remembered he had a nickname for her. He recalled it being 'Tag-a-long' because every family reunion they had she would always follow him like a dog. This girl in front of him was different though. She was too independent to be her.

"Things happened, when mother finally found out what was going on, she pitched a huge fit and we basically turned our backs on the family at that point. It turned out she was only tolerating them for my sake so I wouldn't be lonely."

Terry was finding this odd. Very odd. "Really? How old were you when that happened? You must have been young."

"I had just turned thirteen, it was my birthday." She laughed bitterly. "Some birthday present that turned out to be." Shaking her head, she chewed a bite and swallowed it before continuing. "I had a cousin that I worshipped, he was the only reason I even bothered going to those family gatherings. I thought he was so cool, and he was very nice to me. Granted, he always seemed to lose my address and my phone number but being so young, I thought he was just busy in school since he knew so many people. He had a nickname for me, but he always said it with a smile so I never felt offended by it, though I would have run over anyone else that called me that. I was old enough to know he had an image to deal with, so I thought of it as a way he could stay 'cool' and be my friend at the same time. True, he never acted warm towards me, but until that day I never knew I was nothing to him but dirt on his shoes."

Terry stopped eating, his face suddenly turning white. He acted exactly like that. She was describing everything he had done and how she had reacted to him doing it. She knew who he was, which meant she thought either he would have forgotten or she was purposely doing it to make him turn away from her so he wouldn't ask questions. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he took another bite of his sandwich and put on the Batman facade. "What happened exactly? How do you know he didn't secretly care?"

"Well, I overheard him talking to his friends outside the house. He didn't know I was listening because I was bringing him something to eat like he'd asked me to do. The girl asked him what took him so long and he said 'I had to ditch the tagalong cripple first, she wouldn't shut up.' and they were all laughing, as if what he said was the funniest thing they had ever heard. The word cripple was a blow to my heart, it was the worse thing someone had ever called me. Hell, I'd never been called that before! I just slipped back inside, found mom and we left. He must have been glad that I never bothered him again."

After a minute of chewing, the girl swallowed with a thoughtful expression on her gentle face. "My mother said that in a strange way my ex-cousin did me a favor. He showed me that there are two kinds of bullies in the world: the ones that are honest about who and what they are, and the ones that will wear the face of a friend but still smile at you when they tear your heart out of your chest." Suddenly a soft smile that defined the word 'evil' bloomed on her lips. "The best part is that the fool will never know what his actions will cost him. My mother had been saving up to give him entrance into the Gotham City medical insitute when he graduted from high school since he had said that he wanted to be a physician. Needless to say, that surprise vanished and mother spent the money on me instead."

Anger and guilt coursed through Terry but if he stopped to think about it, he had no one else to blame but himself. There was no doubt now that this girl was his cousin. He had never thought twice about the face he randomly stopped hearing about her but now he knew who she was and why he hadn't heard from her. He would admit he was a jerk of a kid but he was different now. He was Batman, he had a girlfriend, and he was trying so very hard to make up for his bad boy ways. He had to prove to her that he wasn't the same boy as she remembered.

Taking a deep breath, he smiled at her. "You wanna take a small walk?"

The girl looked puzzled for a moment, then she shrugged, and stuffed the remains of her lunch in her bag. "All right." She said quietly, getting to her feet with a slight wince of pain.

Terry threw out the rest of his sandwich and waited until she had her bearings to lead her to a tree outside, away from the other students so they were alone, he didn't say anything as he helped her sit down and then sat beside her. "You know, many people that knew me as a kid don't think I've changed. I was a troublemaker, an asshole, as you might say. I didn't appreciate the things that were given to me or the people that had come into my life. I soon finally realized, 'what the hell am I doing? I'm only hurting other people as well as myself'. It was after a tragic incident that I finally learned that I had to change. To help others if I was to ever redeem myself from my past sins. If I was to ever be respected the way Bruce Wayne is respected by many. Now that I look on what I've done, I'm not proud. I wish I could go back and make up for it, but what's in the past is in the past. I can't change that. I can, however, help change Gotham, I can help change other people. I can help myself be a better person than I was before, than I am now."

Arianna narrowed her light brown eyes and rubbed her sore wrists. "I should have kept my mouth shut, damnit." Then she sighed. "All right Terry, what do you want this time?" Her voice sounded tired.

Terry grinned softly at her. "Always the one to stick your hand in the cookie jar and get caught huh? What I want is simple. I want you to tell my why you're hiding from me, from your family. You didn't honestly think that'd I'd still be an immature little jerk did you?" he asked, his eyes softening.

Tears filled her eyes. "I don't have a choice. Splicing is outlawed now. That... perverted jerk... Doctor Able Cuvier ruined everything. The police are too busy looking for me, they don't care my mom is dead."

Terry's eyes widened. "You've been spliced?!"

She didn't look ashamed at all, she looked proud. "Yes I've been spliced; you just can see it right now." After a tense minute of meeting the leashed fury in his eyes, her lips tightened and her voice turned firm. "No, I won't show you."

Terry didn't at all look approving but he sighed. "You're still my cousin. No matter what happened in the past," he urged.

"I don't want you involved Terry, the less people know, the better. Besides, I have enough on my plate trying to stay out of batman's sight; he's too damn chummy with the police..." Worry shadowed her eyes for a minute. "Still, I doubt he'd recognize me anyway." Then a smile quirked her lips. "The dye washes out easily."

Terry's face scrunched up. "Come on, I already know. I'm not going to rat you out and besides, the Batman you know has retired. There's a new guy subbing for him."

She took a deep breath. "Gotham has an angel now as well as a batman, and I doubt Batman likes to share."

Terry raised an eyebrow. "An angel?"

"Yes." She eyed him steadily, waiting for the information to click in his brain.

When the realization of what she was saying kicked in, Terry's eyes widened to saucers. "You spliced with a bird?!' he hissed, keeping his voice down so no passersby would hear them.

Arianna beamed at her cousin, she looked amused. "Ding."

Knowing that there was nothing he could do about it, but also knowing there was no way in hell he'd rat on his cousin, he sat back and sighed. After a few moments of silence he asked, "What's it like?"

"It's absolute freedom Terry. I am the example of what my mother meant splicing to be. When I'm in the sky... I don't have limits. The takeoff's a little shaky, but once I'm in the air..." Arianna's expression turned dreamy.

Terry smiled. "Well I'm happy that you're finally happy. Are you living far from here?"

"Two hours walk, but it takes me longer." Arianna admitted. "And since I had to leave my chair behind..."

"My door is always open for you but as you know, mom would ask questions and all that fun stuff. I know a place not too far from here that a buddy of mine owns. If I talked to him I'm sure he wouldn't mind lending it to you as long as you didn't trash it up."

"How much is it?" She was not telling Terry she was living in the ghetto, she knew he'd kill her. Arianna was also not telling him that she was living a hand-to-mouth existence right now, or that she'd been eating the same meal twice a day for the past three days...

"I can get you in it for free. Trust me, he's got enough money to last him the rest of his days." he said and stood.

His cousin also stood, hissing softly in pain. "Is it far?" She asked, shifting her weight to ease the pain as much as she could. "Are you in contact with batman? Or are you just a fan?"

Terry raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm a fan at all? For all you know I could hate what he does." he replied. "And no it's not far. It's about a five minute walk for me, about ten for you. But that's alright considering the two hours you have now."

Arianna limped at his side after shifting her school bag into a more comfortable position. "I'm asking because I don't know him, and at the moment, he is a threat to me." She replied between pants of pain.

Terry slowed down and looked at his watch. They had ten minutes to get to their lockers and to class. At the pace they were going, they would get nowhere. "Hop on my back, we'll get to class on time if you do."

It was a measure of how drained she was that she didn't protest. "First time... you ever offered... to help me." She managed, wrapping her arms around his neck, and her cheek against his shoulder.

Terry smiled. "I told you, I'm different now Angel." he said and made sure she was secure and then grabbed her crutches in one hand and his books in the other. "As for Batman, I do know him. We've encountered each other a few times actually. He'll understand the situation you're in, trust me. I'll have him watch out for you."

"As long as he doesn't stop me from doing what I need to do or help the police catch me, I am content." Her small legs wrapped around Terry's waist in a strong grip to support herself. "I can't have him play nursemaid to me when he has more important things to do. I'll get by somehow; I just need time to get myself together…"

The older of the two gave the young teen an incredulous look. "Arianna, I know this guy. He may be working with the police but when it comes to doing friends favors, he won't turn his back on them. You can trust him as much as you trust me not to drop you flat on your butt. And he's not going to play nursemaid. He's going to check up on you sometime during the night when I can't. It's just a quick peek through the window. Don't worry."

"Watch it." She hissed, narrowing her eyes at her human carry-chair. "My name isn't Arianna here." Terry could feel her joints pop when she shifted slightly. "You've got company, and she looks pissed…"

"Hm?" he asked and turned to face ahead of him. He almost, almost regretted it. Dana had her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. "Hey Dana," he said with a smile. "What's up?"

"What's up? I looked for you everywhere! Who is she?" she asked, her glare shifting to the small teen on his back.

Arianna smiled shyly. "Terry offered me help because my feet are a mess and I got lost earlier." Then she tapped Terry on the head. "You can put me down now Terry, I think I can manage now."

"But your class is by my locker. I can carry you there. You coming Dana?" he asked, pretending not to notice how pissed she was.

"Ya I'm coming." she huffed and looked in the other direction.

Arianna craned her head so that Terry could see her raised eyebrow, silently asking how he knew that, but didn't protest. "Thank you Terry, I don't want to miss home economics... the teacher doesn't like me already."

The dark haired teen nodded and then turned some of his attention to his angry girlfriend. "Did you learn anything?"

"I learned enough."

"Why are you so angry?"

"Because you never have time for me anymore. You're always running errands for Bruce Wayne, always getting in some sort of trouble and it takes away from us being together. And now I find you spending time with someone else."

"But Dana we're going out after school before I see Mr. Wayne."

"You know what, forget it. When you have more time for me, call me and we'll go out. I'm tired of being second best, the second thing you think of." with that she stormed to her next class.

"But Dana-!" it was too late; she had already turned a corner. He sighed. This was yet another thing to put on his list of obtaining redemption. "What did I do this time?"

"I think she was mad because of me... maybe I should..." Arianna sounded guilty. "The fact that I have my legs around your waist for balance doesn't really help either..."

Terry looked shocked that Dana would think something of him helping his cousin. "Really? But we're cousins."

"She doesn't know I'm your cousin because I look different now. Besides, she's never met me before in any case, remember?"

Terry heaved a big sigh. "What do I do? I'm out of excuses for her."

Arianna sighed. "Maybe it's better if you don't hang around me Terry. That way she can't accuse you of cheating on her with me. I think that it would be a start."

Terry frowned. "Now what kind of cousin would I be if I did that?" he turned the corner to his locker where her class also was. "She'll get over it."

The fragile girl relaxed her legs and slipped to the floor with an ease that felt almost reckless, but Terry could feel her flinch when her feet hit the floor. "Thanks again for the piggyback ride. I hope I wasn't too heavy for you." As she spoke, she fitted her tender wrists back into her crutches.

"If anything you need to gain more weight. In any case, since Dana cancelled with me tonight, I'll give you a ride home. It'll let me give Batman detailed directions to your home."

"I'm heavy enough, I'd like to shed some pounds actually, but that's beside the point." She eyed him warily. "If you drive me back to my place, you can't get pissy. Agreed?"

Terry raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright, I promise not to say anything. But that doesn't mean I won't be pissed."

She nodded in return, and limped away, ignoring the loud crack in her knee and her swinging rear end.

After school had ended Terry waited for Arianna by her class since she was last to get out. "You need to go to your locker?"

"Yes, I need to get my homework and the rest of my sewing things." Arianna said calmly, shifting the already heavy bag on her back. "It will not take long."

Terry nodded and stuck his hand out to her. "I'll take your bag." he said. It would be faster for them if he took the heavy things as it would only slow her down.

Another surprised look flashed across her face, but she allowed Terry to take her back from her anyway. "Thank you. Please be careful, it's really heavy. I've had... problems... with my locker, so I've just carried everything in my bag today."

He took the bag and swung it around his back. It was heavy but it was alright for him. He was surprised though, that she was able to carry something this heavy. "It amuses me when you look so surprised." he grinned

"Not used to you following me instead of the reverse." She grinned back as she led the way to her locker then carefully propped one crutch against the locker next to hers so she could brace herself to fiddle with the lock. "I hate these things..." Arianna muttered darkly as she concentrated. It took five tries, and two very nasty words, before she finally got it open.

Terry put her things in her bag and took out the ones she didn't need. It was an improvement but it was still heavy. "I'll come get you tomorrow morning too. By that time I should have an answer on the place near here." He said.

Silently taking the books, she piled them in her locker, but had to balance on her toes to get to the ones in back. Once Terry had them, she took out a beautifully embroidered carry-bag as well as a stunningly beautiful sky blue coat that fit her small body like a glove when she shrugged into it before shutting her locker. "Okay, all set."

"Aunty give you those before she passed?" he asked and led the way to his car. He passed Dana and waved bye to her but she turned the other way, ignoring him.

"No. I made them myself," Arianna replied with a smirk, "Every single bit." As far as she knew, Terry didn't know that she made her own clothes when given the choice to do so.

"They're very nice," he said and tried not to let Dana's mood get the best of him. He opened the car door for her and made sure she was in before closing the door and rounding to the driver's side.

Arianna made sure she was buckled in right and that her crutches were in easy reach. "Thank you. I live at Pennyless Apartment at Arrow and Corner Street." She smiled at him, but she knew he would be pissed off.

Terry paused, his eyes narrowing. He knew that street. It was the same streets the Jokerz liked to play pranks in. He promised not to say anything so he didn't, but the look he gave her made it clear he was beyond angry to hear she was living in the most ghetto part of Gotham.

"I didn't have enough credits to find someplace better Terry; I had to travel light when I left." She said softly as she flinched and sunk deeper into the seat of Terry's car.

Terry sighed and started down the street toward Arrow and Corner St. He drove fast so that he wouldn't be late going to Mr. Wayne's. "So, aside from all that's happened, how have you been?"

"I've been okay. I love making my own clothes and cooking things. I even made clothes for mother... though she didn't like it when I made her model for me in the process." She took a deep slow breath. "She let me help her in the home lab too."

"That's cool. Do you miss her?"

"So much... she was all I had besides my pets... I hope they are okay wherever they are now." Arianna bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "Mom was the one who helped me with the gardens and helped me get the raw things I needed to make my own clothes... uncarded wool and the plants I needed to grow my own dyes." With a hard swallow, she added softly. "I still don't know what I'll do now... she had no plans as far as I know..."

Terry nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I miss my pop too." he was silent for a moment. "Well, if you want, we can make up for missed time and be like a family again. You don't have to come home and confront mom if you don't want but it's nice to know you still have some family to look out for you."

"You used to think I was boring Terry." She protested, even as her eyes lit up with hope. "And you could get in trouble because of me." Then the light in her eyes faded, and you could almost see her taking some sense into herself and shoving her hopes in the back of her mind again.

"Oh please, do you really think I paid attention to what you were saying? I was bored because you were saying stuff that I didn't want to listen to. Besides, I'm sure you could make a mean dinner." he winked and grinned at her. "I'd like to get to know the old and new Arianna if she would like to get to know the new Terry."

She smiled back, for a minute looking like the sweet child he vaguely remembered. "Okay. Do you think Batman will like me too?" Arianna frowned at Terry. "I don't want him to feel like..."

"I know he will. He's a lot like me in some ways… The new me, I mean."

"Can you tell him that I'll keep the balcony door open for him? That way he can come right in."

"Sure." he soon pulled up in front of her building and parked. He helped Arianna out of the car and helped her into her apartment. It was small, big enough for one but it was what got her through the days. Which were going to change as of tomorrow morning, if he got his way. "You might want to start packing up your things tonight. I know my boss will be okay with you moving into one of his houses but I just have to let him know and ask anyways. Out of courtesy."

For an answer, Arianna just pointed to the large duffle bag next to the sofa that also served as her bed. "I already am." Then she limped over to the sink, picked up one of the peeled sticks and poked at the contents in the sink. "Drat... still not right..." She muttered as she used the stick to lift a hank of pink yarn from the sink with a frown. Still frowning, she shook her head. "Although... maybe I could... baby clothes..."

"What are you doing?" asked Terry, setting her things down next to the sofa and walking over to her to view the pink yarn she took out from the sink.

"I'm dying some yarn, but the color's not right. I should have boiled it, but I don't trust the store bought dyes." She sighed, carefully lowered the yarn back into the red water and stirred it.

"Why don't you just buy your clothes? Or get yarn from the store?"

"Clothes that I buy from the store don't always fit right, and they cost a lot to boot. I like making my own clothes because they fit and feel better. And as far as buying yarn goes... who knows how they did it and if it's good quality." She shrugged. "Besides, it's fun."

"Well as long as you like it." he was about to saying something else but his phone rang. "Hello? I understand. I'll be right there." he hung up soon after. "Sorry I gotta go. Mr. Wayne needs me." he said turned to leave. "I'll be here at seven thirty."

"Okay, thanks for driving me here Terry. I hope you do well at work." She smiled as she limped over to the door like a polite hostess would do.

Terry grinned. "Thanks. I know he sometimes seems hard assed but he's not a bad person. He's kinda cool." he commented. "Anyway, good luck with your yarn."

"Watch your language." She reproved, but smiled anyway before shutting the door.

A half an hour later, Bruce Wayne raised an eyebrow as his protégée came down the stairs. "Your late Terry." He said coolly. "I trust you had a reason?"

"I was seeing my cousin home. She lives on Arrow and Corner St. I can't say I like the place but that's why I need to talk to you. I know you have a house near both my school and my house. She also attends the same school but she's has a physical disability. She can't walk without crutches to support her so it takes her double the time to walk to school. I was wondering if it would be alright if you lent the place out to her."

Bruce looked at Terry. "I assume you'll be paying her rent privately from your pay?" He asked with a ghost of a smile.

Terry nodded. "Of course."

Still smiling, Bruce tossed a folder to him. "I assume you have a good reason for protecting her from the police?" He added mildly.

"She's my cousin. You'd do the same."

"Terry, her mother was the real head of the whole splicing mess. The police have reason to believe she knows something about why her mother was killed, not to mention that there is a strong possibility that she's been spliced herself, which you and I both know is illegal now."

"Yeah I know but come on, if you saw her you'd let this one slide as well. She doesn't use her animal side and if she did it'd be because her life is in danger. Please Mr. Wayne..."

"Do you even know what she was spilced with and where? And do you really love her that much?" Bruce asked quietly.

"Some bird. She told me she has wings. As for loving her... I'm not sure. We haven't seen each other in years and when we did I was still a 'bad seed' I never cared for her that much but now, I dunno, it's like because she's my cousin, I want to help her."

"Are you trying to make amends then with her?"

"Yeah I guess you could say that. I don't want her to remember me as the jerk that called her a crippled tag-a-long."

"You called her a WHAT?! I'm surprised she didn't kick you where the sun didn't shine and cuss you out... she must have really tight self-control..." Bruce mused in silence. "Watch her like a hawk Mcginnis."

Terry rolled his eyes. "No kidding. However if you let her have the house near my place it won't be so hard to keep an eye on her. I've already told her Batman was going to visit her tonight. Please Mr. Wayne. It's only for a couple years. Just until she gets on her feet..."

"All right, she can have the place for as long at she wants it Terry. However if she gets herself caught, you are not to interfere, understand?"

It took Terry a moment to answer but he nodded. "Understood. Thank you."

"Don't let your feelings cloud your judgment either. Now suit up. You are going to have a long night tonight." Bruce had already swung around to face the large computer against the wall.

"Yes sir." was all Terry said before he did as he'd been instructed and put on his suit.