We stood together outside of the elegant Chicago brownstone, neither one of us moving or talking. Had it been any other time of night or day we probably would've gotten the cops called on us for looking all suspicious like. Even now, in broad day light, the people passing us on the sidewalks gave us funny looks, as if we were suddenly going to go nuts and pull a gun, or smash up some rich guy's house.

Honestly I didn't think we looked that bad. The last real shower had been maybe a few days or so ago, at a YMCA in Springfield, right before we'd set out for Chicago. Last night though we'd found an open bus station bathroom that had gotten us both somewhat less grimy. Bella had insisted that we look presentable for today, the "first day of the rest of our lives." She even had me pull out the freshest pair of clothes from the bag for both of us, though those clothes were still pretty disgusting.

I looked at her beside me, and wondered how on earth I'd managed to find the one person that was absolutely perfect for me. She was thin and pale despite the fact that we spent almost all of our time outside. The 'nice' dress she wore was this old, faded -brown, one-size-fits-all affair that was sleeveless and now ended around her knees where it use to drape almost to her ankles. She always coupled it with an old, holey pair of black wool tights that she had found in a dumpster behind goodwill two years ago, and a sagging beany that covered up what she referred to as her "grodey, nasty, need a shower hair". Bella was absolutely beautiful though and tough as nuts, and maybe a little crazy too. She had already been living on her own for a couple of years when she found me at a local shelter, hungry and freaked out. From then on it was Bonnie and Clyde, Batman and Superman, she kept me from getting picked up or killed and I kept her from doing something too stupid. We each had our reasons for being out on our own, and we would each protect each other with our lives if we needed to. That was the way it was, the way I liked it.

What was standing in front of me was Different.

I felt her elbow nudge my ribs. "So superman, we doing this or what?" She looked at me with big brown eyes, demanding honesty.

"I don't know-" my throat was dry, and I couldn't even tell what I was thinking, just that I didn't want things to change.

"Look, you're going to have to square with this at some point. We're here, might as well be today." She was right, I knew she was, but all I could think of were reasons we shouldn't be doing this.

"You-"

"I got over the step-molester. You can get over this." She gestured towards the brownstone, urging me on.

"But what if it's not really them?" dry throat, sweaty palms again, just from thinking about it.

"Then we say 'we're sorry ma'am' and move on, no skin off our nose," Then her eyes flitted up to catch mine again. "But if it is them, then this is it. The beginning of a whole world of new."

For a while I thought about it, rolling her words around my head. Then something new came up. "But what they did… destroyed my life. What if—" dry throat, "I can't forgive them? Or what if they've forgotten?" Hands clench at my sides just thinking about it.

Bella takes one, calculated step back, bumping into a harried business man and then apologizing quickly before going to sit cross-legged on a wide, stone stair rail. "Edward, look. If you can't forgive them, that's your deal. I never said you had to forgive them, I just said you had to square with them. So that you can move on, live your life." She waited a few seconds before pulling out a well-polished red apple that had formerly been a part of a harried business man's lunch. She took a huge chunk out of it before moaning in satisfaction and then continuing. "Look, superman, it's not like they beat you or raped you or starved you. They just—"

"Forgot me in a strip mall in Atlanta. Yeah, that's tons better." My voice was loaded with about as much sarcasm as I possessed, but I knew what she was trying to do. Bella was getting me riled up, making me brave enough to face the one thing I was afraid of: my family. My family who, when I was three, left me in a strip mall in Georgia and never came back to claim me. My family who should've taken care of me but instead left me in the hands of the Georgia foster care system. My family who was apparently rich and lived in a Chicago brownstone.

Bella saw the thoughts racing through my head, and before I could say different she was off of the railing and flitting up the stairs. I moved instinctually to stop her, but I was already too late. Her knuckles were rapping on the great wooden door before us, my heart was beating about a million miles per hour. From inside we heard a shout and then a thump. Bella pulled my hand into hers and yanked me up onto the step next to her. It felt right. We were a united front against all threats, Superman and Batman, surviving together. Locks rattled around on the other side of the door and my heart rate only increased. "Steady Superman," she whispered as the door began to open.

AN: Okay guys, here it is, the newest mad idea turned real. I don't think this one needs much explaining, but if you've got questions/comments/concerns/ witty-thoughts- that-no-one-else-will-listen-to, shoot me a message via the (DUM DUM DUM) review button. Love~ Rosie