The Beginning Part One

"Mom? M-O-oOo-m? Mom?!" I called as I shuffled across the dirty floor of our very small apartment. If you could even call it an apartment. I was worried to discover that my mother wasn't in the kitchen as usual. Maybe she's still out? I thought disappointedly. I knew she wasn't in the bedroom since I'd just come from there and the bathroom door was swung wide open, so she couldn't be in there. Sighing, I rubbed some grime off the apartment's only window and glared out it as if faith alone would summon my mother. When she hadn't magically appeared after a few minutes, I decided I'd better get myself ready for school. With a glance at the cracked clock that sat by the bed I realized I was late for school, again. As I clicked the apartment door closed behind me a younger voice called to me from across the hall.

"Good morning Miss Lilly!" I turned around to see my neighbor, four year old Jason Todd and his Grandmother standing in the doorway. "Are you going to school?" Jason asked excitedly.

"Morning Jace." I smiled back at him even though I was running late. "Yeah, I'm on my way to school." I said holding up a half-torn composition notebook. "But I've got to run buddy, if I don't I'm going to be late!" I continued smiling and ruffled his hair.

"Well then you best go, we won't keep you." Mrs. Todd smiled back. "Say good-bye Jason."

"Bye-bye Miss Lilly." Waving good-bye I walked down the hall and headed towards school. Even though Jason was only four or five years younger than me, he'd called me Miss Lilly since he was born. Jason's parents and my mom had always been very close, and since we were small Jason's grandmother would babysit us together. When I turned six It was decided that I didn't need a babysitter anymore, so that meant I spent less time with him. Unfortunately, Jason's mother and father had died a year ago so a lot of responsibility had fallen upon Mrs. Todd. Mom and I tried to help them out whenever we could, but we had problems of our own.

That afternoon, I returned from school to find our apartment was just the way I'd left it that morning. My mother was still missing in action. I began to feel a little panicked. Mom never strayed from home this long without telling me. I paced the floor nervously. That was when I spotted the large yellow envelope on the counter. Inside was a few official looking pieces of paper, and two small white envelopes, one with my name on it. leaving everything else inside the yellow envelope I read the letter addressed to me.

Dearest Lillian,

If you are reading this my purrfect little kitten, it means the unthinkable has happened. Something bad has happened to me .Don't worry Kitten, everything will be alright. Take the big yellow envelope and everything inside and bring it to 1007 Mountain Drive, Gotham. Once you're there you'll find your father. Bruce Wayne. Bring him everything and he'll know what to do. I'm sure you have hundreds of questions, but please just do this one last thing for me. I love you so much kitten. Take care of yourself. I'm so sorry.

Love forever,

Mom

I waited three more days for my mother to come home, she didn't. On the third day I decided it was time to hold my head up high, pick myself up and do what I was told.

"Miss Lilly?" That familiar small voice was calling out to me once more as I closed the door to my apartment for the last time.

"Hey Jace." I greeted him with all the friendliness I could muster. He was standing about ten feet down the hall playing with a half-deflated soccer ball.

"Catch!" He laughed, tossing the ball towards me. Adjusting the straps on my backpack so that the bag wouldn't fall off, I reached out and caught the ball. I tossed the ball back to him gently before nicely explaining that I had to go.

"Will you come back and play with me later?" He asked, his eyes round and shining with disappointment.

"I don't know, Jace. Uh I'm going to be gone for awhile. I'll come back and visit if I can."

"Okay!" He smiled, pleased with my answer. With a heavy heart I waved good-bye and stepped out of the building that had been my home for my entire life. Outside, it was cold and snowing. I zipped my sweatshirt all the way up to my neck desperately trying to keep warm as walked down the street. I had only strayed from our neighborhood a few times, but I was a naturally a good navigator and was easily able to bob and weave through the city streets. It was getting dark, I had been walking for hours and was getting tired, but there was nothing I could do. I had to keep walking . I had to get to Wayne Manor to see Bruce Wayne. A heart full of grief and determination I continued trekking through the city streets. The snow had thoroughly soaked through my canvas shoes, and water was quickly wicking its way up to the knees of my jeans. I wasn't going to last much longer out there.

Suddenly, a car rolled up on the side of me, police lights flashing. Out of habit, I almost broke out into a full run. Then I remembered I didn't need to run anymore, I hadn't done anything wrong. A red-headed cop with a furry mustache stepped out of the still running patrol car.

"Mind telling me what you're doing out here this late?" He interrogated me. I snorted. It was barely past nine O' clock and I was used to being alone well after one AM. Thinking about it for a moment I realized the cop was probably not used to seeing eight year old wandering the streets.

"Mind showing me your badge?" I countered. I may have only been eight years old but that didn't mean mom hadn't taught me a thing or two. There was no way I was going to give myself away to someone who was probably an imposter cop. The officer silently complied producing both a badge and an ID card identifying him as Commissioner James Gordon.

"Your turn." He said. The Commissioner leaned on his car and waited for me to answer.

"I'm on my way to Wayne Manor, to see Bruce Wayne." I replied.

"And what do you want with Bruce Wayne?" He questioned.

"He's my father." I answered softly but my words were lost in the wind.

"Sorry I didn't quite catch that."

"He's my father." I repeated, this time looking up. The Commissioner's face softened. He looked down, studying me. After what felt let hours, but was probably only a minute or two, he opened the passenger side door for me.

"Need a lift?" Gordon offered.

"What's it going to cost me?" I questioned acting on instinct.

"About a twenty minute drive in a heated car." He shrugged. My muscles were aching and I was soaked from head to toe. Nodding, I hopped into Gordon's car. At that point I figured even if he didn't take me to Wayne Manor at least I would be warm.

"What's your name?" The Commissioner asked casually as he positioned himself at the wheel.

"Lillian." I told him before clicking the seatbelt into place.

"You must be about, what, Seven? Eight? My daughter Barbara is around your age." Gordon seemed to be talking mostly to himself so I didn't say anything. The drive from then on was mostly silent and warm. Given the choice I would have gladly spent the night in the Commissioner's warm car. Nearly twenty minutes after Gordon had picked me up, we reached a gate that led to a winding driveway. Gordon jabbed a long finger at a button on the gate's call box before speaking. "This is Commissioner James Gordon, security code 52637, I need to speak with Mr. Wayne."

"Yes of course sir." A voice replied from the call box, then the gates opened wide enough to allow the commissioner access to the drive. Gordon parked the car twenty feet from the front door of a colossal mansion. My whole life I'd dreamed of living in the castles that rich citizens of Gotham called home, but in that moment I felt as if the giant oak doors of Wayne Manor had swallowed me up.

"Good evening Commissioner." A middle aged man greeted as we entered. I recognized his voice from the call box and immediately knew him to be Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth. "I've just called Master Wayne and he is on his way home from the movies with Master Dick. He asked me to offer you refreshments in his absence."

"I could really use a coffee." Gordon grunted. He passed a sideways glance in my direction before adding, "Maybe a hot chocolate for the kid?"

"Certainly sir. Would you care to wait in the sitting room?" Alfred gestured to a room on the right just off the entrance hall.

"Might as well. Come on kid." Gordon answered. I followed the commissioner into a lavished room where a velvet sofa was positioned towards the center of the room. Across from the sofa there was a pair of matching high-backed arm chairs. A solid mahogany coffee table divided the chairs from the sofa. The commissioner set himself down stiffly in one of the arm chairs. "Sit down." He commanded with a gesture towards the sofa. I did what I was told positioning myself in the edge of the sofa; desperately trying not to dampen the soft fabric with my practically dripping jeans. Alfred returned momentarily to hand a mug to Gordon and placed a similar looking one in front of me. I cautiously reached for the mug and sniffed in the scent of warm chocolate. The two of us weren't sitting alone very long before a tall muscular man entered the room. He was a handsome man with a square jaw and light brown eyes, my eyes.

"Is everything alright Commissioner? When Alfred said you wanted to speak with me, Dick and I rushed home."

"I'm not quite sure Mr. Wayne." Gordon answered. "This is Lillian, she says she's your daughter." At the mention of my name I urgently tried to hide my face in the hot chocolate mug. Bruce Wayne didn't say anything for a minute most likely taken back by Gordon's comment. He recovered quickly though, sitting beside me. I dared a glance up in his direction.

"Hello Lillian." He said with a seemingly genuine smile.

"Hi." I whispered trying to smile back.