Hello All! So uh... this is my first fanfic ever. Trying very hard to work on my story-writing abilities so any and all feedback will be great.

Do I really need to write I don't own any of these characters? ... besides the ones I made up, of course. Well then... I don't own Batman, or any of the characters in Batman. If I did, I wouldn't be here.

Let's see… when it all started, you ask? It started on much earlier than you'd expect. No, no, it didn't start at the Arkham Asylum incident… It started before that, even. Yes, why would you think I'm lying?

Alright… I was fifteen. I believe a freshman in high school. Don't look at me like that, I was held back a year in elementary.

I was fifteen, new to the world of being an "adult", and curious. Curiosity was always a big trademark for me… maybe that's why I get into so much trouble. I just need to -know- things, ya know?

Anyways, my mother worked for the GCPD. She was one of their I.T. consultants. After school rather than be apart of a club, I'd bring her a late lunch. Well, honestly I'd bring her entire team a late lunch. They all appreciated it, and the home ec teacher gave me free range of the kitchen during my last class - "study hall", so it became something I normally did that year.

I would cook some pretty nice meals for a fifteen year old. Lasagna, braised beef, lemon chicken… They would ask for it, I'd find a way to cook it. My mother would always beam with pride - sometimes it felt like I was the only person in all of Gotham that had an amazing relationship with my mother (seriously though, everyone seemed to have mommy/daddy issues… why?).
The school year continued at a snails pace. I had friends, however I would always look forward to after school - where I could feel even more like an "adult" despite my mother's co workers treatment.

"There's our little connoisseur" called out Michael Brant as I came through the doorway with a big bag full of food. "What's on the menu for today?"

I couldn't help but hide my grin.

"I tried out tilapia… And even made cookies." I said with pride as I walked further into the I.T. office. A few hello's from the usual cops I recognized, and Michael and I were in.

My mother was the first to notice us -

"Kat! You're early today!" She said with a smile as she came over to take the heavy bag out of my hand. "How was school?"

"Good, per usual." I said with a smile. "How's work?"

"Monotonous." She gave a wink at me before calling out, "everyone, Kat's here with lunch!"
From around cubicles arrived three other adults, two women and a man. The first woman was a pretty barbie-like person whose name was Cheryl. With her, Bambi. Whoever named their kid Bambi must have hated her, in my opinion. But Bambi definitely fit for her. Small, quiet, and mousy - always with a deer in the headlight look to her face.

The last male, Edward Nashton. Edward had short brown hair, bright green eyes, and had been the center of my affection since the first day I brought my mother lunch.

Of course I didn't say anything… What sane grown man would return the affections of a teenager? None, that's how many.

Still, it didn't stop me from rushing to my mothers work every single day.

"Smells delicious." Said Cheryl as she literally pat me on the head. In spite of myself, I winced.

"She's not a dog, Cheryl." Michael piped up as he swatted her hand away. I liked Michael, he was always incredibly nice to my mother and I. Nevermind the fact I felt it was because of his infatuation with my mother… But he was the kind of guy who didn't look like he belonged in IT. His dark chocolate skin always looked -thin- over his garishly huge muscles. He never mentioned working out, which boggled me as it looked like he had to spend a majority of his time at some sort of gym. Never the less, he was kind-hearted, and always reminded me of the strong-type who would love on bunnies.

Cheryl laughed off his swat as she grabbed a paper plate and helped herself to the tilapia and fried rice I had made.
"Who chose fish today? I don't remember who…" Bambi questioned, glancing about the adults.

"It was Mr. Nashton's turn…" I said while chewing on the insides of my cheeks. "He asked for tilapia. It was pretty hard to make, but I'm pretty sure I got it down."

"Kat was cooking it last night even." My mother mused. "She tries so hard for us, we should be putting her on salary!" My cheeks burned. A side glance to Edward and he just gave me a lopsided grin. I silently smiled back.

"Thank you for the…" He paused in thought, "effort, Kat. Practice makes perfect, and perfection is always something to appreciate."

"Oh come on, Eddie-" Cheryl pipped, "always so damn stern. The kid tried really hard! She doesn't need to be perfect - " despite talking, she took a bite of her food, then paused, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. "-Damn.. this IS perfection!"

"Well my daughter can cook many mean meals." My mother bragged.
"You'll make a fine wife someday, won't ya?" Michael winked at me as he served himself the tilapia. I just shrugged.

Marriage wasn't really high on my to-do list. Of course, it's likely because I was pining after someone ten years my senior.

And speaking of the center of my attractions, he silently helped himself to a plate, and walked right back to his cubicle to sit and eat in silence. I quietly trailed behind him, peeking around his cubicle wall to see his reaction. Without so much as emotion he put the food into his mouth - paused - and continued eating.

Privately, I considering that a success.

"Is it good?" I found myself asking as I placed a hand on the side of the wall, showing only half my face to his cubicle like a child. He jumped slightly, clearly startled that I had followed him. He glanced my direction, those tired green eyes peering at me through thick rimmed glasses, his mind already boggling on what to say to me.

Mr. Nashton always thought a -lot- before he spoke. At least, it always seemed as such. I was always curious what his inner monologue sounded like… (Now that I do know, I wish I didn't. What, you find that funny?)

He eyed me for a few seconds, one hand idly flipping his fork while the other still held his plate.

"You're getting better." He said slowly. I smiled lightly. It was a start. Mr. Nashton never really compliment anyone.

"Thank you." I said before turning away back to the others. Immediately, Cheryl was patting a chair at the conference table that sat between all of the cubicles. I kindly took it as my mother approached and set a plate of the food in front of me.

"So how was school today?" Cheryl immediately perked. Her barbie doll hair already twining in her fingers as she faced me completely rather than the table she sat at.

"It was nice…" I said.

"What did you get on that history test we studied for?" My mother asked. I visibly flinched. Really, this now?

"Erm… A C minus." I responded. "With the curve."
From Mr. Nashton's cubicle, I could have sworn I heard a snort. Maybe it was my paranoia getting to me, though. (I now know it wasn't. Asshole.)

"Well that's a passing grade, at least, right?" Cheryl chimmed in with another pat to my head. I gave a half smile as Michael once more swatted her hands away.

"Really. you're going to give her a complex." Michael played as he sat down between myself and my mother. "C minus is good, but maybe we should try a little harder next time. You're planning on college, aren't you?"

"She's just a freshman, don't worry her about college…" Bambi murmured through her food. I just smiled at the adults.

"Occasionally. But I already know I want to work with computers… I'm good at them." I said through a mouthful of rice.

"She'll be our next head of I.T., you'll see." My mother crooned. "Mr. Nashton might have to worry about his job once she's graduates." She said the latter a bit louder, obviously trying to tease their generally quiet boss.

"I'll worry when I see it, Mel." Came a less than warm response from his cubicle. A round of chuckles from the table, and more pointless banter between each other.

That was my life for the longest time. I would arrive with food, every day I'd try to win the approval of my mothers superior, and the adults would go on and on, with my mother crooning over me.
Then one day, my usual monotonous schedule changed ever so slightly. During late lunch, rather than hiding in his cubicle, Mr. Nashton pulled up his chair (I took what should be his spot at the table) and ate with us, in the highest of spirits any of us had ever seen him.
"Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Everyone has to be in high spirits for the seasons, don't they?" He asked happily as he pulled his chair between myself and Cheryl. I watched my mother and Michael exchange glances worriedly and Bambi nearly bury her nose in her bowl. Cheryl, on the other hand, looked intrigued.
"That's the spirit, Eddie." She chimmed. My skin was crawling underneath my uniform. Remember the feeling of your high school crush sitting next to you in high school? Euphoria. Probably one of the more happier moments of my life, it's sad to say.
"So what's everyone's plans for Christmas? I'm heading to Florida. Got family there." the barbie continued. "Gonna be getting my tan on. I got this nice new pink bikini that gives no room for imagination if you know what I mean." She winked at Michael and he shifted uncomfortably.
"Really, Cheryl. Must you?" My mother's lips were tightly pursed as she glanced my direction.
"Because I haven't heard anything worse, mom." I smiled back. "It must be nice to get out of cold, dank Gotham. Especially with you-know-who flying around."
"Who?" Bambi's eyebrows quirked. Mr. Nashton side-glanced at me, causing butterflies to flutter up my spine. I was likely turning pink from his attention. Embarrassing, really.
"You know… The Batman." I said.
"Oh, here we go…" My mother chuckled. "The Batman. They need to stop airing nonsense on the news. Gets to kids, these days."
"Now, now, Mel." Mr. Nashton suddenly piped up. "She's not much of a child, is she?"
Damn right I'm not.
In spite of myself, I was smiling like an idiot.
"So you think The Batman is something to get away from, Kat?" He turned to look at me, I knew my face was growing redder by the second.
"Well… Don't you think so? A kid in high school said he watched The Batman beat up a whole bunch of thugs. I mean, getting the thugs off the streets is one thing… But beating them up kinda defeats the purpose to me…" I was yammering.

"Oh? And how so?" He had stopped eating. He was staring directly at me. "What would be better?"

"Well…" My cheeks flared.

"Oh come on, Edward. Give her a break." Michael slapped my back playfully. "Making her think too hard."

"Yes, because thinking more than a primate is something no one in this city should do." Mr. Nashton's insult wasn't abrasive. Nor angry. It was incredibly calm. Said as if it was a poem.

The table grew quiet. My mother and Bambi's mouths were open in shock. Cheryl acted like it didnt bother her and angrily stabbed her food into her mouth like it was a war. Michael just glared at Mr. Nashton. And if looks could kill…

"I would hire better cops." I finally said quietly, into my soup I had brought for everyone. "That's what I'd do." Side glancing at Mr. Nashton, I saw he was still staring directly at me.

"And what if you couldn't find better cops?" He folded his hands and rested his chin on them at an angle so he was now facing me. I re-fixated my stare at my soup.

Silence at the table. Uncomfortable, horrible silence.

"Anyway - what are you doing for Christmas, Bam-"

"I do believe-" A sudden snap from Mr. Nashton cut Cheryl off short, like a knife in the air. His voice had turned from calm to vuglar in seconds, a sound I'd never heard before. Honestly, my young mind was frightened of the sudden change. Mr. Nashton was not being his usual quiet self. "that little Kat was thinking. I realize that you do not enjoy doing it, however perhaps she has some chance in this world."

"Edward Nashton!" My mother was up and out of her seat, hands balled into fists from immediate anger. "That is quite ENOUGH. I don't know what has gotten into you as of late, but blatantly harassing us is not going to get our work done any faster and do not, I repeat, do NOT bring my daughter into this."

"I was merely making sure your daughter had the time to think." His calm demeanor was back. He leaned in his chair, sizing my mother up like an opponent, a smirk on his face. "Is that so wrong?"

Michael was up now too.

"I think we should call it a day. Let's go, Mel, Kat. Im sure Mr. Nashton won't mind it." The sentance was laced with venom as he glared over at his superior while resting a hand on my mothers shoulder. Neither waited for a response, as he lead her away to her cubicle to get her jacket. Bambi and Cheryl left the table quietly, eyes down and awkward.

Mr. Nashton reverted his gaze back to me, while I still stared at my soup.

"Well then?" He urged.

I glanced his direction.
"Find a way to get rid of all the thugs?" I tried.

"How would you do that?" His grin almost looked… menacing.

The longer the pause, the more our eye contact grew uncomfortable. He stared, nearly unblinking, into what I felt like was my very soul for what felt like forever. However a few minutes couldn't have passed and my mother and Michael were already back.

"Grab your things, Kat, let's go." My mother said as she threw Mr. Nashton a dirty look. I didn't stop meeting his gaze as I stood and threw my bag over my shoulder.

Finally I just said,

"I don't know."

His grin grew wider as he folded his hands in front of his face.
"I figured." He responded as we walked out the door.