Disclaimer: I no own any characters from the show but the others are mine!

Batman Beyond

A Broken Family

Chapter 2: Running

Now she was mad, "You are not my DAD!"

Melinda turned on her heal and darted up to her room and slammed the door. She watched out the window as Terry left the house and headed to work. Melinda whipped the tears from her eyes and flung herself on her bed. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was. She sadly knew that that was impossible. Things would never be the same, but, what right did Terry have to try and be dad! Why was Terry trying to replace him!

Melinda closed her eyes and whispered, "Please let me find a family, in this new life."

She lied on bed and cried into her pillow. Why did this have to happen? What had she done? As far as she could tell, she was being punished for something. She did not know…but she did now that she was just a burden upon her family. What could she do to change that? I mean she had been doing her best to keep the house up and do her homework. Nevertheless, that still does not change the fact that she was a burden, especially for her big brother, Terry.

Melinda decided to stop being a burden…she climbed off the bed and reached for her backpack, at the foot of her headboard. She unzipped her bag and dumped the contents out onto the bed. She rushed to her dresser and began to stuff, pants shirts, socks, and undergarments. She put her hairbrush, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush into the front compartment of her bag along with a few more pairs of clean undergarments. She zipped her backpack and securely put it out of sight.

She dug through her closet and flung clothes across the room until she found what she was looking for…a jacket. She ripped her arm through the jacket sleeve and yanked it on. She shoved all of the junk off the bed onto the floor. She turned the pillows long ways and threw the blanket on top of them so it looked like someone was in it. She turned from the bed and walked through her bedroom door, down the hall and down the stairs. She entered the kitchen and peered into the living room to find Matt entranced with a show on the television. She quickly grabbed few pieces of fruit and hurried back to the stairs.

Once she was out of sight she stopped, "Hey, Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"I am really tired, so I am going to turn in a bit early alright, you can make a PBJ if you get hungry cant you?"

"Yeah" he replied, clearly he was only half listening.

She sighed, "Hey Matt I love you."

"Yeah, yeah I love you to?" he replied shrugging her off.

Melinda sighed as she continued up the stairs to her room, and closed the door be hind her. She grabbed her bag from its hiding place and flung it over her shoulder. She glanced at the door and whispered, "Bye guys, hope you'll be happier without me."

She opened her window and flung her leg out. She startled the seal and glanced at her room for the last time, before she hurried out and closed the window behind her.

With Terry

Terry glanced at his watch. It was 10:30! His mom would be home soon. He unlocked the front door and entered the apartment. He walked into the living room to find Matt on the sofa sleeping. Why hadn't Melinda put him to bed? Terry scooped Matt into his arms and carried him up stairs. Once Matt was safely in his room, he stopped by his sisters.

"Melinda?" Terry asked softly, as he gently knocked tapped on her door, "Melinda, its Terry can I come in?"

When she did not answer he sighed, he had been feeling guilty for yelling at her ever since he got to Wayne Manner. "Come on Melinda," Terry whispered, "I know you're mad at me but please open the door?"

After a moment of not getting a response, he let himself in. He found her under the covers. Terry walked across the room and set down on the beds edge. He set there a moment before speaking.

"Look Melinda, I know I screwed up and I haven't done right by you lately, and for that I really am sorry. Moreover, I know things have been hard on you since dad died and it has been on all of us, but I really am trying, I swear I am. I just do not know what to do anymore. So, to make up for yelling at you to day, how bought we go and do something tomorrow since its Saturday. We can hang out all day tomorrow. Just the two of us, how does that sound?"

Terry sighed in defeat, when she did not answer. He slowly stood up and walked across the room. "Melinda?" he whispered as he turned toward the bed from the door, "I really am sorry, I really will try not to be so hard on you, ok, I promise. Melinda, I love you."

With that, Terry closed the door behind him and walked into his bedroom.

Well here's this chapter! What do you think please review and please no flames!!