Terry was walking down the dark streets of Gotham. He had just had another fight with Dana at a party. He was late and that had been the last drop for Dana... She broke up with him. Terry was hurt and sort of confused. Though he understood why. It was difficult being Batman. He never had any time off and he loved Dana and hated telling her that he couldn't go out with her. She asked why, and he couldn't tell her, because it could put her in danger and not to mention that Bruce would kill him! So... Terry just wandered around to the park, not wanting to go home yet. He walked around 'till he came to a little hill he used to go to with his dad when he was little. He leaned over the handrail and looked at Gotham. To think that this was the city he protected every night... It was a beautiful city he thought. He put his hands back down in his pockets and turned around. He knew there was a bench just behind him. He looked down in the ground and sighed. He already missed Dana. But what Terry should have done, was to look what he did, cause when he sat down it wasn't on the hard bench, but on the soft stomach of a half-asleep girl that sat in a scream. Terry half-screamed too, just not as strident as the girl.
"Hey watch where you're sitting!" the girl said half angry, half hurt by the fact that she was sat on.
"Sorry" Terry said embarrassed. "Didn't quite think"
He looked properly at the girl in front of him and blushed a bit. She was beautiful. She had long brown hair and blue-green, almost sea like eyes. And they were kind, he could just tell.
The girl looked at him and her look softened. There was something that bothered this guy. She sat up and brushed herself off.
"Don't you wanna sit?" she asked him kindly.
"Sure, why not" Terry said, shaking his blush off.
They sat like that for some seconds. Terry studied her a little more. He felt some sort of connection. She was sad too. There was something about this girl that draw Terry to his most curious point. Why did she look so sad? Why is she sleeping on a bench? And has those two something to do with each other? Probably! But there where still so many questions. If she was homeless, then why did she look so clean? Why did she seem so mysterious? Or was it just him that felt that? He looked at her properly. The brown hair waved down her shoulders and framed her oval face. She wore a black long armed shirt with a little V-cut and a blood red miniskirt that fitted tight on her. Terry caught himself at looking at her from top to bottom and letting his eyes rest at the end of the skirt and her thighs. He blushed a little deeper, but she didn't seem to notice.
"Rough night huh?" she asked out of sudden, though they had only sat in silence for seconds.
"You too?" Terry asked. He felt stupid asking her that. Maybe she was only referring to him.
"Yeah..." she said, not sounding like she was gonna tell him about it.
Terry didn't know what to say, but he didn't have to worry about that, cause she said something before he could think of the first line to say.
"I'm Vanessa, Vanessa McKallen" she said and offered him her hand.
"Terry McGinnis" Terry said and took her hand. Her skin was soft.
"Nice to meet you Terry?" she said and gave him a little smile.
The smile warmed Terry in some sort of way. He didn't know if it was because the fact of being Batman had given him an ability to read people, but this girl seemed to be so sweet. He smiled back to her. Her smile had disappeared off her face and she looked down at her folded hands in her lap.
"Somethings wrong?" Terry asked, knowing it wasn't any of his business.
She didn't say anything, just looked like she thought about how to say exactly what was wrong. Terry decided to replace the question.
"Why are you lying here on the bench so late at night?" Terry asked, still knowing that he was getting really close and personal.
She looked at him for a second, then answered kind of sadly. "I've just moved here" she just said.
"And what's wrong with that?" Terry asked.
"I just moved in with my aunt, she's 54 and kind of weird, but really caring" Vanessa said and Terry listened.
"Why are you moving in with your aunt?" Terry asked, but knew when he saw her face expression change, that he had crossed the line of personal space. "I'm sorry" he said, feeling kinda little.
"It's okay" she said sadly.
"No it's not, I'm so sorry, it's none of my business" Terry said looking down.
"No really, it's okay" she said, sounding like she meant it. "You're not looking to cheerful yourself?" she said.
"No, guess you're right" Terry said, still thinking about the break with Dana.
"Wanna talk about it?" Vanessa asked.
Terry looked at her. He felt like a jerk. She had the manners to ask if he wanted to share his feelings with her. He couldn't help but giggle inside himself. But then he got serious again.
"Yeah... My girlfriend just broke up with me" he said slowly, looking at the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry" Vanessa said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Terry looked at her hand for a second. "That's okay, guess it was for the best" he said, not quite convincing. She squeezed a little on his shoulder and let go.
"Wanna tell me the rest about your story?" Terry asked trying. He could see something was bugging her and he felt sorry for her.
"I'm moving in with my aunt because I can't stand my parents anymore" she said. Terry saw for a moment her eyes filled with hate.
"Why?" Terry asked surprised. Sometimes he couldn't stand his dad either, when he was alive, but he would never move from him.
"My parents are kind of perfectionists. They wanted me to do everything perfect and if I didn't... I got the guilt treatment" she explained.
"The guilt treatment?" Terry asked, half knowing what she talked about, but wanted to be sure.
"Yes, they just in a way stopped talking to me and when they did, their voices was filled with disappointment. And every time something in the home was wrong, it was somehow my fault too! You see my parents fight a lot" she said.
Terry was surprised. "That must have felt so terrible!" he said. She nodded. "Then why are you sad? You got away from that right?" he asked.
"Yes, but they're still my parents and I've lived with them my whole life and I just don't know how to satisfy them. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is!" she said, half thinking that Terry didn't understand her.
"No I don't, but I know it definitely can't feel very good" he said trying to save it. "But now you're here! You're starting a new life and if you're parents don't appreciate you, it's their problem" Terry said encouraging.
"You're right, but it's just that problem too. I don't know anybody and I don't have many skills making friends, because you see all of my friends is from my childhood" she said.
"Hey, I'm right here!" Terry said, smiling at her. "That's how easy it is to make friends" he said half laughing.
"Oh so I just have to act ninja on a bench and wait for someone to sit on me?" she said with a teasing smile, reminding Terry of that embarrassing incident.
Terry blushed a bit again. "I'm sorry, just had a lot on my mind" he said.
"Guess we both had" Vanessa said and leaned back on the bench, looking at the stars.
"So I guess you're starting at Hamilton Hill High School on Monday, right?"
"Yeah guess I am" she said and smiled at him.
"I could show you around if you like?" Terry offered.
"That would be fantastic!" she said, standing up. So did Terry. "Thanks Terry, I'm glad I've already got a friend" she said and hugged him shortly. Terry couldn't reach to do the same, but was glad about the short contact. "Bye Terry, see you at Monday!" Vanessa said and turned around.
"See you!" Terry said and looked after her, waving a bit. There was something about this girl...
The following Monday Terry was up early and off to school. When he was almost at the school he thought about something: How was he gonna find Vanessa, they hadn't planned on meeting somewhere or anything. Well he just had to search for her then. He didn't have to search too long, cause outside the school a rather nervous looking Vanessa was scouting around the area, obviously looking for Terry. He hurried to her and when she saw him she suddenly changed her face expression to relieved.
"Phew, thought you might already went in" she said when Terry reached up to her.
"No, I was hoping to find you here. We should have made a deal on where to meet and when, don't you think?" he asked her.
"Yeah we should" she said, laughing.
They went inside the school and Terry showed her around for a bit and went to the information to get her schedule. They were delighted to see that they had the same classes.
After school, Terry decided to show her around the city and tell her some things about the city too.
"You especially have to be careful with the Jokerz. They aren't as tough as they want you to believe, but they can still be dangerous" he explained to her.
"Yeah I heard a bit about those Joker guys, they're a lot of them in the town, right?" she asked Terry.
"Yeah, but you shouldn't worry about them. Not many people in town does. Besides, they're mostly out at night and they're going for people who walks alone. That's why I got so worried about you lying on a bench alone at night, the other day" Terry said.
Vanessa smiled. "You were worried about me?" she asked, making Terry blush.
"I mean, I'm just surprised that they hadn't been over you by then, they like to hang out in the park you see, but of course I don't know how long you lay there..." Terry said. Vanessa shrugged her shoulders.
"Guess I'm just lucky" she said and smiled.
The days went on and Terry and Vanessa became better and better friends. Vanessa never asked why Terry worked so late at Mr. Waynes and she was fully understanding when he had to cancel a study night they had planned. Terry liked that about her, she was understanding and trusted him. Something Dana didn't... But of course there was a big difference in the relationship between him and Dana and the relationship between him and Vanessa... Or was there?
Soon there had gone two months and Terry and Vanessa was on their way home from the library from their study night, which Terry luckily just made in time.
In the two months they had known each other, they had developed a strong friendship and they talked about everything and nothing and laughed like crazy sometimes when they were together... Just in general enjoying each others company to the fullest every time.
They walked over the park, as always, because they liked the extra time it gave them to talk. They stopped at the place they first met two months ago, and leaned over the hand railing as Terry had did that night. They watched Gotham for a while and kept their thoughts for themselves for a moment.
"I can't believe it's already been two months" Vanessa said.
"No, me neither" Terry said.
"I feel like I've known you forever Terry" she said and looked at him. Terry looked back at her. "I'm really glad that you're my friend Terry, I feel so safe and comfortable around you, and that I can tell you everything and talk to you about everything... I really feel we have connection" Vanessa said and lay her hand on top of Terry's. Terry looked at his hand for a second, and then lay his other hand on top of her hand on his.
"Me too" he just said, he couldn't say anything more. He felt the exact same way about her.
Vanessa smiled to him, looking him in the eyes, blushing a bit. Terry did the same. They leaned closer to each other, not saying anything, just looking at each other. They were now only centimeters from each other, Vanessa closed her eyes and so did Terry... A short moment went by as they moved the last centimeters closer to each other and let their lips meet...
It was a long, passionately kiss. Terry moved so he could hold her. He let his hands go around her waist and land on her lower back, she did the same. She took a chance and opened her mouth a little, letting her tongue explore Terry's lips. Terry was a bit surprised that she took the first move, since he himself was unsure if she wanted to do that. But none the less he opened his mouth a little too, so that her tongue could explore his mouth. He liked the warm feeling of her tongue inside his mouth and let his own tongue softly slide over hers and play with it. She played along and did the same. Soon the kiss was very exciting and if they both hadn't pulled back to reality it would have ended in something more...
"Wow!" Vanessa said, catching her breath.
"Yeah!" Terry said, catching his breath too.
"Well, I guess that says it all?" Vanessa asked.
"Yeah, guess so" Terry said. "Just hadn't really counted on it.
"Me neither" Vanessa said.
"I really do like you Vanessa" Terry said and got a bit closer to her again.
"I like you too Terry" Vanessa said, hugging Terry tightly. He hugged again.
They looked at each other and shared a kiss again, just not as long as the last.
"Guess we're together then?" Vanessa said. "That is, if you want?" she asked looking at Terry as they started to walk again.
Terry looked at her. "Not a million Jokerz could keep me away!" he said and hugged her again. She hugged him back.
"I'm just so happy!" Vanessa said and gave him a quick kiss.
"Me too!" Terry said and kissed her back.
Terry walked Vanessa home as he always did, cause he wasn't sure about her safety with all the Jokerz around in town. Now that protection instinct was doubled by a hundred. He wouldn't let anything happened to her...
He opened the door to his moms apartment where he found his mom and brother sitting in the couch watching some program or something. His mom turned her head.
"Oh it's you Terry, how was study night?" Mary, Terry's mom, asked.
Terry gave her wide smile. "Just fantastic mom!" he said and went to his room, leaving his mom a bit confused by his happiness.
"Well that's great honey" she said a bit confused, but just turned back to the TV.
That night Terry slept fantastic... And so did Vanessa...