Author's Comments:

Original AC: Wow, I didn't honestly think I'd ever make it this far in this story. The story itself which has now clocked out at 100 pages in just a month or so. So much writing o.o But this is the adrenaline rush that comes from even having just a couple of fans/reviewers who like my work! While I AM working on my other fictions (Go to my profile page to check those guys out) My main focus right now besides art and getting my health back in to ship shape, is this story. Why is it I'm able to write so much? Well, I'm still recovering from a seizure I had a month ago, then I got sick with a nasty flu two weeks later. SO, it's been a hard ride to be able to live a normal life again. But I don't think you guys are complaining because I'm writing and doing my best to keep in touch, right? :P Honestly right now, my favorite character is Caitlyn (Not trying to be biased here, it's just how it is) Because there's so many sides to her personality, and her character in general. So much has happened since the start of the show, I wonder what you guys think of her apart from being an idiot around Terry and too stubborn for her own good? xD

Edit: Oh, just to let you guys know, I wrote this paragraph days after the rest. However, I wanted to make it clear that while Max IS making an appearance, her personality is tweaked JUST a bit for the sake of my story. So please, if you're a Terry/Max shipper, try to read this story with an open mind. This is NOT a Terry/Max fanfiction. Got it? Good. ^^

Original AC: (Please note that the rest of this isn't directed at you Sokai, or you Gleek2Beat. This is just to anyone else who might have questions or complaints about my story. So ignore it if you want and skip right to the story itself!)

I've had a couple of people call her a Mary Sue, which I'm not seeing. Sure, she's had previous training, and gets in trouble A LOT. But that training hasn't helped her, actually being out on the field as Batgirl has. She's gotten her ass kicked MAJORLY in the last two acts as she struggles to find out her place in the world of heroines, and not every character has to be clumsy and mess up all the time as some people have suggested. Another reason people have called her a Mary Sue is cause she's a cheerleader and super heroine... so what? I've always wanted to do some kind of a story along these lines, and a dear friend of mine helped me gain the confidence to actually write it out (Sokai, go look at her amazing works! end shameless plug) And yet another complaint... she's not perfect. So? Just because she acts like she can handle everything on her own, just because she is emotionally shot right now does not make her unworthy of being a heroine. I'd like to see YOU GUYS go through what she's been through and not be emotionally shot and a bit prickly at the end of all that. And so what if she's actually helping out her GRANDPARENTS, not Bruce?

A few have complained (Not just in reviews from people that shall be remained nameless) about that, and her being trained by Wonder Woman... Bruce already orders Terry around, he doesn't need TWO lackeys. And so what if Caitlyn gets trained by a legend? If you guys haven't noticed, Dick Grayson and Barbara are too old to train her themselves, otherwise they would. After all, they trained their daughter (Caitlyn's mother, Claire, who was murdered in the first act) as the Batgirl before her. OH. One more thing... Just because it's a love story (I've said this before) Doesn't mean it has to have sex and nude scenes all the time. To me, that's not realistic love.

I think that covers all the recent complaints about the story. If you guys have anything else to gripe about, keep it to yourselves. And if you think you can tell me how to write my story, you're sadly mistaken. My dear friends help me in that factor, and my readers who LIKE the story are always encouraging and genuine in their opinions about things, which help me make a better story for those who care about it. There is the occasion that I might get a fact or two wrong, but it's usually pointed out pretty quickly so I can fix it.

In regards to the Dee Twins and Harley... It's a fanfiction guys, sheesh. And clearly these twins aren't the DeeDees seen in the DC A.U., their names are different. And in regards to Harley still being around, so? The technology of that time has allowed Static to still be around and kicking at age 70, why not Harley? It doesn't work on just one person, you know. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would jump if it was offered for the public's use.

There's another thing I need to clear up here- Dana Tan will NOT be making any shows in this story. Yes, I'm aware that she's his girlfriend in the A.U. cannon. But this is a fanfiction, so :P Dana's not in here, just pretend for the sake of this story that she never existed in the first place! But Max might be making a few appearances in the future, keep your eyes open!

Even though the readers I've attracted are still Terry/Max fans (Can't blame them, honestly), they read it with an open mind and give me truly inspiring reviews.

Without you guys helping in the reviews, I wouldn't have gotten this far in such a short amount of time. This Third Act of the Batgirl Beyond saga is for you.

This act is taking on a bit of a different turn than the other two, now that I have most of the characters established, (MOST, note the wording) and the first two main arcs/plots settled, I can continue on some more interesting things in the wider world of DC A.U. from Caitlyn Boardener's point of view/perspective. Please be patient with me guys, sometimes it takes me a while to write even a ten pag chapter because I have to go through so many drafts before I'm satisfied. I went through 3 drafts of that last chapter I did for Act 2 before I was satisfied.

One last thing... Why do I splinter the story? It helps me stay organized. It's not some convoluted plan to gain more views/reviews. Believe me, if that's all I was out for, I wouldn't post. I'm not trying to sound rude or anything. But I've got SO MUCH going on in my mind, splintering helps me keep track of everything and everyone in my many worlds if I need to go back for a quick reference on something.

Apart from these Author's Comments parts, I will no longer be answering any question in regards to my story and plot. It's mine after all. And I don't want to ruin it for anyone who might actually be enjoying the story. Thanks for your patience in reading through all this... The Third Act of Batgirl Beyond begins... NOW!


Batgirl Beyond: Act Three

Prologue:

The Red Stars band had been reeling since the Jokerz attack on their party, while the confrontation in the abandoned factory took place at the other end of town, the band reorganized themselves, making sure everyone who'd been in the room was alright. That was when Tim found the real Amy, the real event coordinator tied up in a storage shed with her mouth bound by duct tape.

"Are you ok?" Asked Sumayah after ripping off the tape.

"No I damn well am not! I was just put here, and was treated like a hostage for the last three days!" Snapped Amy as they untied her.

An hour later, they were making a statement to the press that was flooding the stadium after seeing the windows crashed open and obvious damage done to the party room.

"Approximately one hour ago, the Jokerz gang came and abducted miss Caitlyn Boardener from the party," Barbara Gordon was standing at the pedestal for her press announcements with the band and event coordinator involved in the incident behind her as well as extra security. She couldn't just say 'her granddaughter was kidnapped' for professional reasons. "Less than forty five minutes later, the abductors were apprehended and Miss Baordener was returned safely home and unharmed with the assistance of Batman. The other members of the party where the abduction took place were not harmed, and the Event Coordinator was found in fair condition apart from mild dehydration and some bruising. The band was not the target of the initial attack, and they are all ok apart from some mildly damaged egos. Once the other missing member of the party was located and accounted for, the building was evacuated. We will not be taking any questions tonight as this case is still under open investigation."

Bruce was watching the report given by Barbara Gordon, who looked tired and stony faced after the rather active night. There was still the issue of Catwoman and Shape Shifter, but those two had already vanished from active duty like a pair of trouble making chameleons. Terry was off at home finally getting rested for school the next day, and he didn't really want to interrupt the young man that day after such a long weekend. So he spent the rest of that night and next day surveilling Gotham City with his many satellite cameras and security cameras which were strategically placed in his beloved city.


Chapter One-

Forging Bonds

It was a good feeling, getting back to school for Caitlyn. Not only that, but she had lots of homework to turn in that she'd finished while the school power source was getting updated and security systems were remodeled in the last week. There was just a major change in how she spent the last few minutes before her first class, and who she spent it with. She'd spent the last evening before bed consoling Melody when the older sister of Leia found out her little sister was in jail for breaking and entering, and joining the Jokerz gang. Not only was Melody devastated, but so were her parents. And Caitlyn herself.

She only got to sleep about two in the morning, which made it an even groggier morning than usual for her. What surprised her even more was that Melody gave her a big embrace when they met in the hall, with the same bags under her eyes that Caitlyn had, only Melody's eyes were bloodshot and dry from crying all night.

"We're going to hold tryouts this weekend for new cheerleaders, I put up the notice on the bulletin board." Melody sounded a little dry in the throat even as she spoke.

"Melody, I'm sorry about Leia." Caitlyn felt like she had a frog lodged in her own throat making it hard to talk. "If I'd have done something more... Maybe it could've been prevented."

"Don't start with that Caitlyn. If you had your way, you'd probably be blaming yourself for there not being any air in the vacuum of space." Melody shook her head. "You were her best friend, and I was her older sister who should've been a better role model for her. But now she's taken up with a wrong crowd to end all wrong crowds." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "And she's not talking about anything that may or may not have happened to convince her to join either. If she wants to be a stupid prat, then it's her loss. Right?"

It was almost unbearable for Caitlyn to hear this from Melody, who didn't know the real reason why Leia joined with the Jokerz.

"Listen... about cheer leading... I..." Caitlyn began to say she was resigning.

"Don't even think about it. We're the only ones left from the old crew. If you resign, there'll be no one left to help me train all the newcomers."

"What?" Blinked Caitlyn. "What about Darla, Amber, Emma, and Jaina?"

"They all quit two days ago, saying this team was jinxed. But I've got a group of hopefuls that should prove better than any of them, the Dees AND Kina. I'd have told you sooner, but things got so busy for me." Melody replied. "I'd better go. Science is on the other end of the school." She waved before heading down the hall, vanishing in the crowd of students.

Caitlyn stood next to her locker for a moment, fighting off the strong urge to punch it. The team had been jinxed because of her, and an event that happened years ago that virtually no one knew about, but was still haunting the legend that was Batgirl even decades later. Not to mention, so many things were changing in her life, she felt like she barely had a hold on it.

Terry was nearby and saw the moment to have a few words with Caitlyn since they were in the same classes.

"Hey, you want to sit with my friend and I so you won't have to go solo today in math?" He asked, pulling her over after she had shut her locker.

"Your friend?" Blinked Caitlyn.

"Hey. Call me Max." Said the dark skinned girl with boyishly short, but bubblegum pink dyed hair, introducing herself to Caitlyn. "Terry told me all about what happened. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know, ok?"

It was all they managed to get in before the final bell before class rang, and Max made sure the prickly girl didn't somehow manage to sneak away to a back table in Math class.


Barbara was frustrated, she had her hands clasped together with her forehead resting against them, it had been a long night dealing with those three. None of them, Sharon, Sheryl and not even Leia were willing to talk about why they had done this to her granddaughter.

"Knock knock." It was her husband with a few things for his wife.

Dick sat at the table, putting down a mug, and some herbal tea that she was fond of.

"So, any luck on the newest case?" He asked.

"No. Leia's not even willing to talk to me. And it's not like I can drag Cate from school to make her talk either." Barbara put some sugar in the tea before taking a long draught from it.

"I still can't believe Leia of all people would be willing to throw away everything instead of using her gift to help others." Dick shook his head.

"All she's said is that the twins and Harley convinced her it was the right thing to do. Right... Probably took the Joker's route in convincing and gave her some sob story." Barbara shook her head as she reached over at the breakfast tray Dick had brought in. "And then there's Catwoman and Shape Shifter... It turns out Catwoman stole a priceless diamond from the museum a few weeks ago, and the museum is JUST now letting us know. And Shape Shifter's struck a few ATM's since last night."

"So, not the best of nights for you." Dick shook his head as he walked behind the table and gave her a hug.

"No. How's Cate doing?" Asked Barbara in between mouthfuls of scrambled egg.

"Well, it's hard to tell. She was pretty quiet this morning, but that could just be her being tired as usual." Admitted Dick with a shrug as he sat back down. "I think she said something about seeing Leia after school though."

Barbara looked up sharply at those words.

"I'm not sure if that's a smart move." She said.

"That's what I told her. But she said it needed to be done... You know, one last talk and all." Shrugged Dick.


It was lunch time, and Caitlyn wasn't about to miss out on pizza day in the cafeteria. She happened to rather enjoy the school's food. After getting herself a code red from the vending machine, she was pulled in to the lunch line by Max, who turned out to be quite open and friendly. It had taken her a little bit to adjust to this new type of friend, but Caitlyn was quickly able to open up to the girl, who turned out to be quite intelligent.

"So you help Terry out once in a while then?" Blinked Caitlyn after getting an explanation on how Max knew about the secret already.

"Well, you COULD say that." Smirked Max. "Let's just say without my help, Mr. McGinnis here wouldn't have all his fancy techno-gadgets."

"Enough with the verbal abuse, Max." Said Terry. "I get enough of that from Caitlyn anyways."

"Anyways," Max tossed his comment aside. "I'm going to help get the word out about you, Cate."
"Huh?" Blinked Caitlyn.

"About the bat, I mean." Max said in a lowered voice as a classmate walked by. "Every supr hero's gotta have a reputation, and I can get a good one out for you."

"I'm not sure if I like that idea... rumors can be misleading and people might expect more than I can give." Caitlyn shook her head as she spoke while dipping her slice of pizza in to ranch dressing before biting in to it.

Terry was watching the conversation with a mild interest as he ate. She was smarter than she looked, which surprised him a little bit. But Max would probably still go ahead with the plan of building a rep for Caitlyn. And judging by the shrug Max gave at her statement, he was probably right. He was glad that Caitlyn didn't seem to be lingering too much on the weekend events, and glad that she seemed to be getting along well with Max, who was known to be a bit overbearing at times. Though he had the feeling that if Max ever got like that around Caitlyn, Caitlyn would be more than willing to put the girl in her place.

Melody approached the table with a folder in her hands.

"Cate, just to let you know, I've been researching some new moves for us to practice tomorrow after school, that way we can teach the new group coming in at the middle of the week. You might wanna take a look at what I've found so you can be ready, ok?" Melody asked. She was glad that Caitlyn wasn't shutting herself up, and that she was socializing. Though with people she never thought she'd be hanging out with. McGinnis had been a known trouble maker in the past, he's since mellowed out a bit, and Max was a known genius of their group when it came to technology and anything computer related. But maybe Caitlyn just needed a different group of friends than what she had before. She waved at Caitlyn's new group of friends before going back to her own after getting the assurance that Caitlyn would indeed look through the file before practice the next day.

"So, the team is getting an over hall, I take it?" Max asked after the tall blond went away.

"Yeah. Going to have to train a whole new group this weekend, among other things..." Nodded Caitlyn, opening the file to look at the new moves Melody had found she liked.

"I'm surprised you never were the team leader. It seems like something you'd enjoy." Suggested Max.

"You kidding? I'm not good at giving out orders, and I'd be a terrible team leader." Said Caitlyn at once, and Max shrugged with a smirk at Terry's disbelieving face.

After school, Max pulled Caitlyn to the side after having a rushed conversation with Terry.

"Hey, you got plans tonight? I'd like to show you some things that'll help out on the field." She said.

"Can't, sorry. I'm meeting Nana at her work place, then Leia."

"Can I come?" Max changed tactic without skipping a beat. She was working at trying to get Caitlyn to relax around them, and trying to get the girl more talkative than she had been since she got back.

Caitlyn blinked, but nodded.

"Great. Terry, why don't you come along? Oh wait, Mr. Wayne's got you working after school again, right?" Max looked over at Terry who nodded with a shrug. "Hold on a sec, I wanna talk to Melody about something." She said after a short pause.

Caitlyn watched as Max managed to get Melody away from her group of friends, but had no skills in lip reading, so she went back to her lunch, not trying to ignore Terry, but not sure what to say.


After Max had asked her question, Melody thought for a little bit before replying.

"I don't really know what happened to get Leia to join with the Jokerz, the police were questioning me almost the whole weekend. But I DO feel that it wasn't Caitlyn's fault. She never used to be so... untrusting before her parents were killed." Melody shook her head. "No. The Cate we've been seeing hasn't been the real Cate. Normally she loves things like karaoke, skipping out on school, and going to that night club with the Troupe on the weekends. I'm glad she met you, Max. Maybe she can start adjusting back to her old self again with a new group of friends to hang out with... I don't even know why the Jokerz chose Cate to pick on so much. But she does seem to be their new target."

"You seem to have been doing a lot of observation..." Said Max, but in a kind tone.

"Yeah. I did what I could to keep Leia from getting in to trouble. Now she's not even wanting to come home." Melody shook her head.

"Well, I'm sure things will go better for you here in the near future. I just wanted to touch basis with you and see how things were going." Max looked over at the table and saw that Caitlyn and Terry weren't saying much to each other. "And I get the feeling she's not always like that?"

"No. Only around guys she happens to like." Melody blinked. She remembered how quiet Caitlyn had got one time when she introduced her to an upperclassman for a Cheerleading event that required each of the girls have dates, but Caitlyn had gotten suddenly shy and stuttering like a bumbling idiot around him. Once he'd gone away, Caitlyn mumbled that she just didn't know how to act around good looking guys and wound up making an idiot of herself like that. "Normally she's the life of the party, so to speak." She also recalled that incident to Max with the upperclassman.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your friends. Thanks for the info." Max understood Caitlyn a little more. She didn't like having to go around her back like this, but there wasn't any other way to figure out how to break down that wall which went up after Leia, Sharon and Sheryl's betrayals.


"So... Not a word was said while I was gone?"

"Don't look so disappointed." Mumbled Caitlyn.

"I left the table to try and get you two to open dialogue more. Since Terry looked like he was wanting to say something. But I can always try another time. Sorry you can't hang out with us after school." She gave Terry a pitiful look.

"Yeah, well, what can you do when you have a Nazi old man like Bruce Wayne as your boss? You gotta be at his beck and call." Terry shrugged now that he was sure Max wasn't going to lecture him again about not saying anything. He was all for chatting it up with Caitlyn, she was just being the anti-social one about it.

"Poor you. Life is SO rough." Caitlyn grumbled, which resulted in Terry glaring and Max having to hide her snickering rather obviously.

"Hey! I didn't ask for your input!" Snarled Terry, but she just shrugged as the bell that signaled the return to class rang, cutting him off as there was the standard scraping and bumping of chairs as students stood up from the cafeteria tables to go their separate ways.


After school, Caitlyn was making sure she had everything before Max popped up apparently out of nowhere, startling her.

"Gah! Don't DO that!" Caitlyn breathed when Max had tapped her on the shoulder, she jumped what felt like two feet in the air. Though it was really only a few inches.

"You know, after meeting your grandma we should go do something fun." Said Max as she waved goodbye to Terry before leaving the school.

"Fun?" Blinked Caitlyn.

"Yeah. Fun. I know!" Said Max after a few moments' thought. "Let's go get your hair cut!"

"What?" Caitlyn was at a loss and her befuddled expression showed it. "How is that fun?"

"Come on, Cate-"

"Don't call me that!" Caitlyn actually hated that nickname.

"It could really be the start of something new for you." Max plowed on like she hadn't heard Caitlyn's outburst in the middle of her sentence. "Think of it... it can't be short like mine, obviously, you're a cheerleader and I don't know of many tom-boy cheerleaders. BUT... It might get people to notice you more... Well, boys mainly, and it might not hold you back so much when you're 'working'." Max couldn't exactly say what she really meant by 'working' in public in case they were being overheard or spied on by some unknown person or being, but she did manage to get her point across rather quickly. "I'll set up the appointment at the salon down the street from my place while you're seeing Leia, ok?"

"B-But..." Caitlyn stammered. She didn't want to be a bother, and she knew haircuts were pricey depending on the style you wanted.

"Come on Cate-"

"I said don't call me that!"

"You've had that same long style since before high school. Don't you think it's time you shook things up a bit? Imagine how cool you'll look on the field, and at work!" Max again ignored Caitlyn's outbursts. She knew Caitlyn was temperamental, but if she just didn't give the girl the chance to explode, or ignored the outbursts...the girl might calm down again, open up and talk a little more about herself. Being the new Batgirl on the block, Max was certain she had to have some interesting stories to tell. At least that was Max's hope. It would be nice to have a girl to hang out with that was the same age as she was for a change.


"What are you doing here?" Leia asked when she saw Caitlyn standing in the hallway outside her cell block. Apparently Leia had been put in to solitary confinement in a room that specialized in neutralizing gifts like the ones she possessed, so she was currently nothing more than an ordinary prisoner.

Leia now wore a white prisoner's shirt, pants and her blond hair was hanging freely. Her Jokerz face paint was washed clean, revealing her pale peach skin.

"To see you one more time." Replied Caitlyn with a straight face. "And to return something to you." She pulled it out from her pocket. It was something that she'd found that morning, which prompted her desire to see Leia one more time. "There's really no way for things to go back as they were... is there?"

"No." Leia looked at the object Caitlyn was handing to the guard to pass through the hole in the specially designed window wall that the two spoke to each other through. She blinked and stared. It was Caitlyn's half of the Best Friend necklace that Leia had given to her after they met when they were six years old. It may be a plastic gold chain and half of a heart that had the word 'Best' on it, but it still meant something to them. At least back then. "You mean you kept it after all these years?" She took it from the guard.

"Yes." Nodded Caitlyn.

"What a waste." Mumbled Leia. She couldn't even use her powers to fling the locket back at Caitlyn through the glass wall that separated them.

"There's also these." Caitlyn handed Leia's schoolbooks and notebooks to the guard, who in turn passed it to Leia through the small hole. "Just because you're in prison, doesn't mean you shouldn't at least be able to study and keep up with everyone else." She said as she turned away.

"Your efforts are in vain, Caitlyn. Things will NEVER be as they once were." Leia's voice echoed from the cell as Caitlyn and the guard walked down the hall- all visitors needed to be escorted by the armed guards, no matter who they were.

"Good luck with that." Caitlyn muttered to the guard that escorted her in regards to Leia's attitude.

"Thanks. Tell the Police Commissioner it's dull without her here when she's on paperwork duty." Said the guard before he closed the door behind Caitlyn.


Caitlyn saw that Max was just getting off the phone.

"Well, I got you all set up with that hair appointment." Said Max at once.

"Thanks, I just need to see Nana and we can get out of this hell hole." Smiled Caitlyn. Somehow, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, with the last reminder of the past with Leia she had taken from her sight, and at the same time she felt she'd finally given her last effort to reconcile with the girl, she felt more at ease in making some new friends. "Listen, sorry about my attitude earlier today..." She said, feeling awkward as she said it.

"No worries. It's always a bit awkward making new friends. But you can trust Terry and I one hundred percent." Max said mainly out of surprise that Caitlyn actually apologized than anything else. "Besides, it's better to have a friend like me who already knows your job has you on beck-and-call too just like him. Than not, right?" She had to choose different wording at the last second as a group of guards walked by.

Caitlyn knocked on the door to her grandmother's office.

"Come in."

After poking her head in, she saw her grandmother sitting at the desk at the opposite end of the room.

"Cate? How was your day?" Asked Barbara. She thought she saw an eyebrow twitch at the nickname. But Caitlyn didn't dare snap at her grandmother like she did with her new friends.

"Not too bad. The class clown threw some frog guts on the ceiling and got detention though." By class clown, Caitlyn meant one of their classmates, Carl, who was constantly getting in trouble for random outbursts and getting in to fights for ridiculous reasons.

"You mean in biology?" Asked Barbara.

"Yeah. Oh, Nana, Max is taking me to the salon so can you tell grandpa I'm going to be out and if he needs help with something give me a call?" Caitlyn saw the pile of work her grandmother had in front of her and didn't want to stay too long.

"Sure. Getting your hair cut? It's about time." Smiled Barbara.

"I thought you'd agree, Mrs. Gordon." Grinned Max. "It'll give her a whole new look and I thought it might help her feel better after all that's been going down."

Caitlyn looked at Max. Just like her to get herself in to the conversation somehow.

"Please, just call me Barbara. Or Nana. If you're a friend of Cate's, no need for so much formality." Said Barbara as she finished signing another form and moved to the next one.

"Well, we'll be off. Have a good night, Nana!" And Caitlyn moved for the door.

"Don't forget to get a Father's Day card for grandpa this weekend." Barbara said before her granddaughter and friend left.

"Right, thanks Nana." And they were gone.

After she and Max reached the salon, the two spent the half hour waiting period looking through magazines for a short-hair style that would suit Caitlyn both as a cheerleader and as Batgirl.

"That one's way too short... I don't wanna look like you... no offense." Mumbled Caitlyn as she saw a rather short, dyed spiky style. "Wait. I kind of like this one."

"Oh! Shoulder length? Not a bad thought... better than freakishly long." Grinned Max.

"Hey!"

But again, Max was saved from another outburst as the hair stylist came up to them. And her hair was no longer to the waist, but it was shoulder length and wavy. It turned out that her hair had a natural wave to it when it was shorter so all the stylist had to do was cut it, and use a bit of curling at the ends to give the strands an outward flip. She kept her bangs from before, then bought some specialized shampoo to keep her hair 'soft and silky' as the stylist said.

"You look so much better without that mass of hair." Grinned Max. "Well, I hate to abandon you, but I've gotta get home and do my essay for history."

"Yeah, same here actually. It was fun hanging out with you." Caitlyn waved as her friend headed down the street to her home.

That's right...Father's Day is coming...Caitlyn thought, turning in the direction of her home. I wonder if Dad would mind me visiting him and mom this weekend? I know I said I wouldn't bug them too much... But this is an important day.

She was lost in thought as she walked right past someone who was on errands for his boss that evening.

Terry blinked when Caitlyn went by him but didn't say anything to him. It was clear that she was lost in thought. If he was honest with himself, he almost didn't recognize her with that newer hairstyle. So that's what Max had in mind when she wanted to hang out with Caitlyn that afternoon. He had to admit, it was a nice change.

"Hey Caitlyn." He said.

"Oh, hi!" Caitlyn had not noticed him even though she'd just walked by. She was caught so off guard she even forgot to be rude to him. "I thought you were working?"

"Yeah. Doing errands for my boss. Max head home already?" Asked Terry.

"Yep. She still had homework to do." Shrugged Caitlyn. "How's things with Mr. Wayne?"

Didn't Bruce ask her just to call him by his name? Thought Terry.

"It's going ok. He wasn't thrilled with our team work levels... but he said those things come with time." He shrugged.

"Eh-heh... Yeah... sorry bout that..." Mumbled Caitlyn. "I was rather high-strung the last month."

I hadn't noticed...The sarcastic thought crossed his mind at her statement, but he was glad that she was calming down more.

"Well, I think I'd better get going. I don't want to get Mr. Wayne mad at you." Smiled Caitlyn.

"Eh, I'm used to it. Why don't you come with? I'm sure he'd like to have someone else to gripe to for a change." Terry asked at random while she was still in a good mood at least.

"You sure I won't be imposing?"

"Nah. I just have to get a couple of things today and we can get going if you want."

"So Mr. Wayne must really keep you busy?" Said Caitlyn when she started following him. "That's why I hardly ever see you at the after school events, right?"

"Yeah. It sucks sometimes, but working for Bruce does have a few compensations."

"Like?"

"Well, I've got some extra bucks to spend on my time off for one. And another... well, you know the alternative lifestyle." Terry shrugged.

"You mean leaving a trail of human wreckage everywhere you go while under that mask?"

"If you wanna put it that way..."

Caitlyn suddenly laughed outright at his reaction to her statement.

"Come on, I'm no better than you are." She said. "Didn't you get the joke?"

Terry was wondering if it was a mistake inviting her along.


Bruce heard the door open as he moved in to his living room just as he was wondering where the hell Terry was with his heart medicine refills.

"About time." He said as his dog Ace stood up to greet his master. "Where have you been?"

"Sorry, met someone." Terry jerked his thumb at Caitlyn behind him, who was ogling the sheer size and wealth of Wayne manor. Her family had always kept things downsized, at least compared to this.

"Ah." Bruce saw Caitlyn as Ace barked at her. "Down." He snapped at the dog. "Just don't touch anything, Caitlyn. That's the only rule I have here for visitors."

"Uh... right Mr. Wayne. Mind if I look around while you and Terry sort things out?" She asked.

"Not at all. Just don't-"

"Yeah yeah, don't touch anything. I got it the first time." She waved a hand as the dog followed her with wary eyes.

She wandered around, looking at artifacts that Bruce had collected over his many years of existence. Making sure not to actually touch them as she leaned in to get a better look at some particular item.

"So you like antiques, hmm?" Bruce said after taking his medicine.

"Ah!" Caitlyn was startled out of her reading of one of the artifacts. "Yes. Dad at first wanted to be an archaeologist, but when he found out he'd be required to travel the world and be apart from mom for years at a time, he opted out and became a cartoonist instead. But he always insisted on teaching me the values of history and whatnot." She smiled rather nervously.

"I see. So, what do you think of Terrance here as your team mate?" Asked Bruce.

"Hey!" Said Terry at being referred to like that by the old man. But he was silenced rather quickly when Caitlyn answered Bruce.

"It's not that bad, really." She replied. "I mean, sure the Dark Knight has a reputation of being rather reckless, but I think most of that stature do."

"Including yourself? I hear you made quite a mess of the school a couple weeks back."

"Heh..." Caitlyn gave an embarrassed sort of laugh. "Well, I should probably get going. I don't wanna see the mood grandpa might be in for me being out so late." She said when she heard a grandfather clock gonging in the distance ten times. Then her stomach rumbled.

"Would you like a little something to drink before heading home? I'm afraid I'm fresh out of soda. But I do have some tea."

"Um... Do you have jade tea at all?" She asked at once as her stomach rumbled again.

"Yeah. Do you like sugar with it?" Bruce replied, she nodded.

"Seven scoops, if you wouldn't mind."

Both Terry and Bruce stared at her.

"Sounds silly, but it should be enough to quell this stomach of mine till I get home and get some dinner in it." She looked rather shy again.

Terry decided to get to the kitchen before Bruce started barking orders at him again, so he nodded when she finished explaining.

Once Terry was gone, Bruce looked at Caitlyn.

"So, you seem to be doing well." Said Bruce as he took a seat in his recliner chair.

"For the most part." She smiled.

"The most part?"

"Well, I still find at times that it's hard to believe that my parents are dead and my best friend chose to believe the Jokerz instead of me... But other than that it's been not too bad." She admitted.

Bruce, who knew what that feeling was like of having your parents murdered right in front of your eyes, nodded. He might be several decades older than these youngsters, but he still understood. Caitlyn had lost both of her parents in one night, while Terry lost the man he once viewed as his father. Though Bruce appeared old and business oriented, he still had a soft spot for the younger generation going through what he went through at the age of 8. It was why he was still observing what was going on in this new generation of Gotham City Dark Knights.

"So you're not still upset over what happened then?" He went on.

"Well... I just figured I can't live forever wanting revenge... Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted that. I got the people who killed them locked up and behind bars... So..." She shrugged.

"So why are you still donning that mask?"

There was a pause as she thought.

"To make sure that what happened to my family doesn't tear apart another." She replied with stubborn eyes.

"Here you go." Terry handed her the mug of requested tea, Bruce a glass of milk.

Caitlyn nodded her thanks before taking a drink of the sweet Jade tea as though test tasting it before downing it in just a few swallows.

"It was great. Well, I'd better go. My grandparents are gonna be pissed at me for being out so late without letting them know." She said.

"Wait, I'll walk you back." Terry spoke up rather abruptly.

"Eh? But you don't have to."

"Yeah, but it's dangerous for girls to be going around this late at night on their own. I thought you knew that by now?"

"Fine."

"Have a nice date." Bruce couldn't help himself with the sarcasm.

"It's not a date!" It was Caitlyn who snapped back despite her respect for the elderly. She could handle her grandmother's habit of calling her Cate all the time, but when it came to subjects like that, she pretty quickly acted up.