A/N: I want to take a minute to say thank-you to all of you readers who have decided to review and follow this fanfic. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment and it does me good to know that you all are taking interest in my story. So, kudos to all of you.

Now, before I begin I wanted to remind you that this fanfic is rated: T due to the content of this story. There is inapprorpiate language, mentions of abuse and there are hints of sexual activity but never drawn out scenes. So if this is going to make any of you uncomfortable, I suggest you not read. For those of you who can handle it, read on. It's not that bad...well it is but...oh, never mind lol

Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Justice series that was inspired by the DC comic's universe or any of the show's characters, nor do I own the classic fairytale of Cinderella. However, I did write this story and all plot twists, changes and creations that I made on my own I can take claim over. So please, no stealing.

"Trust Issues"

Artemis stared at the blackboard intently as her professor rambled on about the importance of knowing a foreign language. When she'd signed up for Spanish class, it was merely to fulfill one of her graduation requirements, but she had to admit, she had ended up taking a liking to the subject. She could proudly say that along with English and Vietnamese, Spanish would expand her vocabulary, making her somewhat trilingual. Just as Señora Hernandez crossed the room to the assignment board, the final bell of the day rang. Several students began reaching for their items, their chairs scraping loudly against the floor but Señora wasn't ready to let them go just yet. After reading off the day's assignment and announcing a Spanish Club meeting tomorrow after school, the students were dismissed.

Artemis collected her things and sighed at the realization that the school day had ended. That meant she had to get home and finish all tasks Lawrence had left for her or she'd regret it later in the evening. When she exited the classroom, her ears were greeted by an uproar of laughs a few feet behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked towards her locker and spotted Wally and his friends laughing about something that had happened during their last class period. Much to Artemis's surprise, Linda was standing away from Wally, her arms folded across her chest as she stared at him angrily. With a shrug, the blonde continued on her way to her locker.

Dick was leaning against her locker with Zatanna and Kaldur by his side as they waited patiently for her to arrive. She smiled in greeting before unlocking the metal cabinet to retrieve her bag and stuffing her needed books into its mouth before closing the locker with a loud slam.

"So, you want to tell us what happened during lunch?" Dick asked with a raised eyebrow as Artemis leaned back against the wall of lockers.

"Yeah Artemis," Zatanna said, curiosity coating her voice, "what happened with you and Wally West?"

"I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and we ran into each other, that's all." Artemis said with a shrug.

"I'm not buying it Arty." Zatanna said. "We saw the way Linda was screaming at you, not to mention the big fight that happened between her and Wally after you left. Apparently, he broke up with her, claiming that she was too self-centered for him."

"Let's not forget his claim that she was horrible in bed." Dick said with a laugh.

"Well, that would explain the scene I saw after Spanish class." Artemis said as she pushed herself off the locker and began walking. The others followed closely behind her, only to split up at her sides after catching up.

"So Kaldur," Artemis spoke, changing the subject, "when did you move here, yesterday?"

"I've been here for almost a week." The shy boy spoke. "It took me an entire week to get registered. Let's just say…my dad isn't the most helpful person in my life."

"What about your mom?" Zatanna asked. "Doesn't she help you out?"

Kaldur shook his head as a sad smile appeared on his lips. "My mother passed away when I was very young." He explained. "I was six."

Artemis's eyes widened with surprise. It seemed she and Kaldur had more in common than she originally thought.

The gang exited the front doors of the school and headed down the stone steps towards the front walk where several buses were gathered to take anxious students back to their various places of residence.

Zatanna pointed to a blazer parked across the street. "I see my dad. Are you sure you don't want to go costume shopping with me Artemis?"

"I'm positive Zee. I have to work tonight, plus the chores that are waiting for me at home. Just text me a picture of your costume when you've found one."

Zatanna smiled before waving. "I'll see you all tomorrow then, bye."

The remaining three waved the raven-haired beauty off as she disappeared in the crowd of students to climb into her dad's truck to head to the suburbs. Dick and Artemis turned to Kaldur once out of sight.

"I guess we'll see you tomorrow then Kaldur?" Artemis said hopefully, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You shall." He said with an identical smile on his face. Kaldur then proceeded to disappear amongst the other students to make his way home.

"Well Artemis, our chariot awaits." Dick said jokingly as he gestured his arms towards the bus. Artemis laughed before climbing up the steps and taking a seat in the rear. Dick plopped down beside her a few seconds later and propped his feet up on the seat in front of them.

"I really wish you would have gone with Zatanna." Dick spoke as the bus pulled away from the curb. "It would have done you some good to get away from your house to go somewhere other than school every day."

"Dick, you know I can't skip out on my chores. Besides, if I don't give my dad half our rent money by the end of the week, there's no telling what he's going to do."

Dick stared at her sadly before turning to face the front of the bus. They rode in silence for several minutes as the scenery changed for the second time that day to that of Gotham's slums. The bus pulled up to the curb and its doors open, releasing all riders who desired to get off. Dick and Artemis gathered their things and headed down the steps and stepped onto the dirty sidewalk to begin their walk to Artemis's house.

"There's Alfred." Artemis said pointing across the street towards a nice sports car parked on the side of the road. "Looks like he didn't bring the limo today."

"I think I'm going to tell him to go ahead." Dick said with a smile.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at her friend's words. "Won't your father get upset with you if you don't go home?"

"Not at all. I'll just let him know that I'm hanging out with a friend. I want to help you finish your chores so you can have some fun tonight, and don't even try to change my mind. You're my friends and friends help each other."

Artemis smiled. "I'll let you help me under one condition. You have to tell Zatanna how you feel about her. Stop avoiding the obvious Dick."

A blush spread quickly across the younger teen's cheeks as he tugged at his shirt collar. "I'll tell her…eventually."

"By the end of this week." Artemis said with a laugh as she pushed the door to the apartment complex open. "Go ahead and tell Alfred you're staying. I'll be up in the apartment."

Dick nodded before jogging across the street. Artemis walked into the building and sighed as she walked across the sickly green carpet towards the stair well. She climbed all six flights and made her way into the sixth floor hall towards her apartment. When she made her way inside, her eyes fell upon an envelope sitting upright on the kitchen table against a coffee mug. With a raised eyebrow, the blonde crossed the room and took the envelope into her hands. She carefully slid her finger underneath the lip and tore the seal open to reach for the contents inside. Her hand came in contact with a check that she pulled out in one swift motion. A gasp came from her mouth at the sight of the monetary amount of four-hundred dollars written on the check. The name of some fancy company Artemis had never heard of was printed on the check and her name was who the check was addressed to.

"What are you looking so happy for?" Dick's voice came, pulling her out of her shock. Artemis looked up and showed him the check as the apartment door slammed closed behind him.

"Some company mailed me a check…or maybe they didn't."

"Come again?" Dick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I came in the house and it was just sitting upright on the table. There's no return address or an address of any kind on the envelope and nothing was inside except for the check. Maybe it's a hoax?"

Dick to the check from her hand and studied it intently before holding it up to the sunlight streaming through the window above the kitchen sink.

"This check is legit." He said with a shrug before passing it back to her. "Congratulations Artemis, you just made four hundred dollars."

Artemis's smile quickly faded as thoughts of Lawrence passed through her mind. "Dad is never going to let me keep this check, and before you suggest Io hide it, that won't work either. He knows this house like the back of his hand and he would know if and where I would hide something."

"Why don't you let me hold on to it then?" Dick suggested. "You know I would never spend it, being that I already have money of my own. I could be like your personal bank teller or something?"

Artemis giggled at the suggestion before passing the check back to her friend. "Well then sir, I would like to deposit this check."

"Would you like a receipt?" Dick said with a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

The two of them burst into a fit of laughter that doesn't last long. Artemis's phone starts ringing, instantly silencing the both of them. It was a ringtone both of them knew fairly well, signaling them that Lawrence was calling. Dick took a seat at the table and tried to remain still while Artemis slid a finger across the screen to answer the awaiting call.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello pumpkin. Have a nice day at school?"

"Y-yeah." She stammered. "I have a few homework assignments to complete and I got the information for my archery tournament Saturday. I'll leave the info on your desk and finish my homework after my chores."

"What about work? Isn't it your payday today? The rent is due tomorrow."

"I've got the rent covered dad. Oh, and about tomorrow…there's this school dance and I was wondering if maybe…you'd allow me to go?"

Lawrence's laughter cracked through the speaker of the phone causing Artemis and Dick to nearly jump out of their skin.

"Have you lost your mind? You're going to be training twice as hard tomorrow evening. The tournament is Saturday remember? Tell you what, if you can manage to get perfect shots and make the place shine, maybe you can go to the end of the dance and watch all your little classmates drive off."

"Never mind, forget I asked." Artemis said with a half-hearted laugh. "It was a silly idea."

"And what have I told you about those silly ideas of yours? They're never going to work out so you may as well lock those silly dreams and thoughts of yours up and throw away the key. You don't need to think, I do that for you."

Dick clenched his fists angrily at the sight of tears pooling in Artemis's eyes.

"Right…So, I'm going to finish up the housework and get your dinner in the fridge and I'll-"

"There's been a change of plans princess. I'm bringing a buddy home and he's got a thing for blondes. Think you can cancel work tonight?"

"What am I supposed to tell them?" Artemis said quickly, her stomach fluttering with panic. "And what about the check?"

"Hon, with the money he's going to give you for showing him a good time, you won't even care about that little check. Now, finish your chores and get cleaned up. I'm sending him over in a few hours. And baby girl…don't disappoint daddy. You know what'll happen if you do."

Artemis nodded and ended the call before walking over to the kitchen table on wobbly legs. She collapsed in the metal chair and placed her face in her hand. Dick watched with a heavy heart as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

"Arty…are you okay?" he asked as he reached out to touch her shoulder.

Artemis swatted his hand away before lifting her head to look at him. Dick's mouth fell open slightly at her puffy, red eyes.

"You have to go." She said quickly, her voice a whisper.

"I am not leaving you here." Dick said, his voice heavy with great seriousness. "You are coming back to the manor with me."

"Dick, please just go!" Artemis shouted as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why do you insist on staying here with a man that uses you as his personal punching bag and sex slave for his friends? Why don't you call the police? Stand up for yourself for Christ's sake Artemis! You're my best friend and I shouldn't have to be afraid of leaving you every day out of fear of not seeing you the next day…I care about you Artemis and we've been friends for so long…I just don't understand. Every time Zatanna and I find ourselves in a bind, you always give us a suggestion or provide a way for us to get out of the situation, but when I try to help you, it's like you put up this impenetrable wall up around yourself and ignore and kind of help that is tossed your way."

"Dick, you don't understand! He's all I have left! My mother has been missing for years. She's probably dead, and then there's Jade. Some older sister she was. She abandoned me and left me alone to deal with my father on my own."

"Don't you get it Artemis?" Dick shouted as he stood to his feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You don't have to stay here and put up with this. Does Lawrence really have that much control over you that you're afraid to get out and get help? You have a cell phone on you and he knows that. Why not call the police when he's away or better yet, why don't you pick up and leave like Jade did? I'll admit, I disapprove of your sister leaving you behind but I don't disagree with her tactics. She left to save herself and you should do the same. I'm giving you a door to run through Artemis…come back to the manor with me and leave this life behind. You're only getting closer and closer to your grave with each passing day that you stay here under his rule and thumb!"

Artemis stood to her feet quickly and opened the door. "Just go…" she whispered before wrapping her arms around herself again and closing her eyes.

Dick sighed before grabbing his bag to sling it over his shoulder in one swift motion. "Fine, I'll go."

Artemis watched as Dick passed through the doorway and disappeared into the stairwell. With a shudder, she closed the door and leaned against the hard metal structure before sliding down to the floor. She remained like that for several minutes crying her heart out.

"Dick…" she sobbed through her tears. "I am so sorry. I want to leave, I really do but…I just don't have the strength…"

Artemis was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of her phone vibrating on the table where she'd left it. She scrambled to her feet and swiped the screen open with hopes that Dick had messaged her saying that he was sorry but instead, she was greeted by the sight of her email box lit up.

"Speedster…" she whispered before opening the message.

Speedster:

So…you never told me what kind of costume you're going to be wearing tomorrow.

Artemis smiled at the message before sending her response.

Archer:

Just so you know, you never really told me what your costume was going to be either, so I guess I'll use the same ploy you did…It'll be obvious.

It didn't take a long for the Speedster's reply to be sent.

Speedster:

So…I can definitely see a Green Arrow ensemble being pieced together. Am I right?

Artemis laughed at his response, but she had to admit, it was a good idea. Green Arrow was one of her favorite superheroes and not just because his costume was her favorite color. He was an amazing archer who could take down any feat. His archery skills inspired her own and made her even more determined to get bull's eyes with every shot she released.

Archer:

Perhaps

Speedster:

Well, I can't wait to see you…I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time. I mean, how often do you meet someone that is totally compatible with you, and not just by zodiac signs. I mean, we like the same kind of music, we're both incredibly smart and we have big dreams to chase. You're funny and you put things into perspective in ways I've never even thought of before. I can't wait to meet the girl of my dreams.

A blush spread across Artemis's cheeks like a wild fire at his words. They were sweet and as far as she knew, honest. She did have to admit, she had yet to meet someone who liked her on the level that the Speedster did, but what if that all changed when he met her? As far as he knew, she was a smart and athletic girl who dreamed of leaving home in seek of thrill and adventure. He had no idea about the intimate, deep, dark secrets of her life. She had hinted at the abuse she suffered from at the hands of her father, but she never dove too far into the subject and he never pressed her on the issue. For that, she was grateful. However, she couldn't help but to think what if. If they did meet and he found out about the details of her private life, would he stick with her through thick in thin or run away at the first chance he could get? Would he be upset and accuse her of being a punching bag as Dick had?

Archer:

What if I'm nothing like you expected? What if…we meet and you'd rather cower and run away?

Speedster:

That would never happen. I'm not the kind of guy who just abandons someone because I can't handle a situation. Come on Archer.

Artemis smiled at his words. So he admitted that he wouldn't run, but what about her? Would she run out of fear of hurting him? Only time would tell…

Artemis lay in her bed still as she clutched her quilt to her exposed body beneath. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she wouldn't voice her sadness and humiliation. She stared at the wall beside her face at the peeling, green wallpaper that was in serious need of a touch-up as the other occupant in the room slid out of her bed and zipped his pants up. She waited patiently for him to re-dress himself and leave her as she silently counted the passing minutes.

The man placed a hand to her shoulder and she flinched at his touch. He leaned down close to her ear and placed a kiss to her temple. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell of liquor emanating from his breath.

"That was amazing…" he said, his voice longing. "Your dad was right about you princess. What do you say we make another date? Or if your schedule's full, I'm up for a few more rounds. What do you say?"

Artemis sat up, careful to keep her chest concealed beneath the quilt before looking over her shoulder to shoot him a glare.

"You got what you wanted. Now leave your money and go."

"I don't think so." The man said as he wove his calloused fingers through her messy strands of blonde hair. "Your dad told me to take as long as I needed and I'm not finished with you yet. So I suggest you drop the quilt and give me what I came here for."

The man crawled onto the bed towards her and she backed herself into the wall. She whimpered before once again being taken into the man's arms.

When Lawrence came into the apartment, he was pleased to find his dinner wrapped on a paper plate in the fridge. He grabbed a plate along with a can of beer before making his way into the living room. The clock read 2:30am as he took a seat on the battered sofa and propped his feet up on the table. Taking hold of the remote, he flipped the television on to the Sci-fi channel and he watched the alien horror film that was displayed through the fuzzy old entertainment center. Just as he was finishing his meal, he heard the backroom door slam shut. Raising an eyebrow, he leaned forward to peer down the hallway where his friend was emerging from Artemis's room.

"Dave, what are you still doing here?"

The large, muscular man came into the room, his boots echoing loudly off the hardwood floors. His black hair seemed to glow from the light emitted from the television.

"I came by around eleven but your daughter…she's something else Lawrence."

A sick grin crossed Dave's features as thoughts of his previous hours with the blonde filled his mind.

"Never mind the fun you had." Lawrence said as a look of annoyance crossed his face. "What about the money? Being that you decided to take more than the time I allowed you with my daughter, I expect to be paid three times as much."

"Of course Lawrence. I left the money with the blonde. Your expenses should be well taken care of for a while. Well, I best be going now. Have a nice night."

Lawrence watched Dave go before standing to make his way down the hall to Artemis's room. Artemis was curled up in a ball on the corner of her bed with her arms wrapped around her. She'd managed to find a long t-shirt to slide on over her bare body after Dave had left her and she had a death grip on her pillow. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Lawrence walked through her doorway.

"Hey princess, dinner was great and apparently, so were you. Where's the money?"

Artemis lifted her arm and pointed at the nightstand table where a wad of crumpled twenties lay beside her phone. Lawrence smirked before walking over to the table to take the cash. He sorted through each bill, his smirk growing into a smile with the sight of each twenty passing between his fingers.

"Well done baby girl. We have enough for the rent." Lawrence sifted through the stack another time and tossed a crumpled twenty onto the bed to land at Artemis's bare feet. "There you go, a little keepsake for doing such a good job. Now get yourself cleaned up. We have a training session in two hours."

"Why?" Artemis whispered through a choked up sob.

Lawrence paused before turning his head to her. "What did you just say?" he asked as his eyebrows narrowed dangerously low.

"How could you allow him to come in here and…violate me like that? Are you really that heartless that you would allow someone to-"

Artemis was cut off as Lawrence's hand struck her hard across her face. Artemis was stunned by the sudden action. She slowly lifted her hand to her cheek and flinched as pain seared through the forming welt. Her eyes then moved to Lawrence who was staring at her in disgust.

"You have some nerve talking to me like that." He snapped. "Where are your manners and your respect? You know money is hard to come by in our family Artemis. I just thought that this would be an easier way to make cash."

"So…you exploit me and force me into some…degrading prostitution business? I'm not a call girl dad, I'm your daughter!"

Lawrence was angered again by her words and shoved her into the wall. Artemis let out a cry of pain as her head slammed against the hard surface, hitting the injury she'd obtained from him early yesterday morning.

"No child of mine will talk to me in such a way. Now, get cleaned up and go to bed. We can talk more about your behavior during training tomorrow morning."

Artemis watched him leave her room as tears fell down her face. Even though she was scared shitless, she had to admit she was proud of herself. She'd stood up for herself, stood up to her father for that matter and even though she was punished for stepping out of her usual routine, she couldn't help but to feel a little proud of herself. Thoughts of the training session awaiting her crossed her mind and she was suddenly filled with fear. With the way she'd just behaved, there was no way in hell he was going to go easy on her. Not knowing what else to do, Artemis sat up quickly and took hold of her phone. After hitting her speed dial, she ran a hand through her hair and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Dick's voice came through the speaker, heavy with sleep.

"D-Dick?" she stammered, frightened by how small and terrified her voice sounded. "It's Artemis…look, I know you're probably still upset about what happened earlier but I-"

"What happened?" He said, anger hidden behind his voice.

"I'm scared…I don't know what else to do."

There was a pause followed by the sound of shuffling and a door closing.

"Try your best to sneak out and meet me at the drug store a few blocks from your house. Alfred and I will be there shortly."

Artemis smiled before sniffling. "Thanks Dick."

The line clicked as Dick hung up and Artemis quietly slid out from beneath her covers to tiptoe over to her closet. After stuffing a duffle bag with clothes and grabbing her backpack for school, she slid on a pair of gym shoes and quietly crept over to her window. As she slid the glass up to the top, thoughts of when Jade made her escape nearly three years ago filled her head. She had been so angry and upset with her older sister for running out on their family and leaving her all alone to suffer their father's wrath but now, she was seeing things a little more clearly. It was every girl for herself in their household and it was about time she start listening to Dick's pleas for once in her life. Even if it wasn't forever, she was going to get away tonight to give herself a little space from her "master."

Using some of the training her father had instilled in her, Artemis slid out the window and held onto the ledge before stealthily letting go and landing with a quiet thud on the fire escape below. She then slid over the bar of the fire escape, not wanting to alert the other residents and dropped down to the sidewalk. Her body and legs were tired from the abuse they had suffered during the evening, but she ignored the painful protests and ran down the block to the drugstore. Being sure she wouldn't be seen, Artemis ducked into the alley beside the store and hid behind a dumpster. Realizing she was alone, she rested her head against the brick wall and allowed her eyes to slide closed to meet with an anticipated sleep.

Artemis was awoken by someone touching her shoulder and she opened her mouth to scream, but a hand was quickly placed over her parted lips to muffle her screams.

"Artemis, calm down!" she heard Dick say in a whisper. "It's only me."

Artemis sighed with relief before grabbing his wrist to yank his hand away from her mouth. "You scared me!"

"So I see." Dick said.

Artemis averted her gaze the floor in shame as Dick's eyes looked her over taking in ever cut, scrape and bruise that decorated her skin. He reached out and took her chin into his palm to tilt her head upward. He cringed at the sight of her bloody lips and a nice shiner on her left eye.

"Your dad really let you have it, huh?"

"The shiner and the bloodied lip are courtesy of my dad. Everything else…were parting gifts from his friend."

Dick slammed a fist to the ground angrily forcing water from a puddle upward and onto Artemis's bare legs. She jumped in surprise at his sudden outburst, but she said nothing. What could she say to him? After all, this is what he had been warning her about all along.

"Can we go?" she asked him in a small voice. "It's freezing out here and I don't even want to think about what dad is going to do if he finds out I've ran."

"Alfred's a few blocks away. Let's get going before someone sees us."

Artemis nodded before standing to her feet. Dick took her bags and led her down the block and into the back of the awaiting limo. The two then climbed in and left the lonely street behind with all the horrid memories of the night.

Artemis sighed with comfort as the warm water from the shower head sprayed over her tattered skin. She allowed her hair to absorb the water as she looked down at the white marble floor beneath her feet. She frowned at the small amount of blood mixed with water slowly flowed through the drain. Looking away, she took hold of the washcloth Dick had left for her and lathered a good amount of lavender soap into the rag to wash away the dirt and filth on her skin. She then proceeded to wash her mane of hair before rinsing herself off completely and stepping out of the shower to dry. Dick had left a first aid box on the bathroom counter and she quickly applied peroxide to all exposed cuts and bandaged herself up. She then dabbed Witch Hazel onto a cotton ball and gently dabbed the liquid around her eye to help with the swelling. After fixing herself up, she slid on her pajamas and exited the restroom.

Dick was waiting at the foot of his king-sized bed when she entered his room again. He smiled at the sight of her.

"It's amazing how much good can be done by taking a shower." He said jokingly as he removed his shades to flash her a genuine smile.

Artemis wrapped her arms around her chest and smiled at Dick. "Thanks Dick…for everything, and I do mean everything. I have to admit, I was quite surprised that you answered the phone after the way I treated you earlier. You were just trying to help and I-"

"Hey," Dick said, cutting her off, "let's not worry about what happened earlier. All that should matter is that you finally came to your senses and left that creep of a father."

Artemis bit her bottom lip before averting her gaze to the floor. Dick didn't fail to notice the small gesture and sighed.

"You're going back…aren't you…?"

Artemis nodded weakly. "I just needed to get away to clear my head and calm down. I would have gone crazy if I had stayed in there one more second. Look Dick…I know it isn't safe to be there with him, but until I can figure something else out…I have to go back."

"Artemis, call the police and get him locked away. He can't hurt you if he's in jail."

"Dick, you don't understand, do you? The only reason I haven't left is because I need him to tell me where my mother is."

Dick's mouth fell open at her words. Artemis never spoke of her mother under any circumstances.

"My mom disappeared when I was six and my dad was the last one to have seen her. Every now and again, I'll ask him what happened to her and he always promises to tell me, but only if I continue to train and stay with him. Now, I know what you're thinking. What if he's just pulling my leg about knowing where she is, but even if that's true, it's a chance I'm going to have to take. Even if she's dead, at least I'll have closure. So I have to stay Dick. My mother is my only chance of leaving him forever."

Dick nodded his head understandingly. He wasn't going to press the subject any further.

"Look, we have school in a few hours. You can stay in the guest room down the hall."

"You sure your dad won't mind."

Dick nodded. "Alfred and I are the only ones home. Dear old dad had a meeting overseas for Wayne Enterprises and he won't be back until Sunday morning. He wouldn't mind if you stayed over Artemis and you know that."

Artemis nodded before walking over to the door. She placed her hand on the handle and paused before looking over her shoulder to smile softly at Dick.

"Thanks for being here for me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Goodnight."

Dick watched as Artemis closed the door before falling on his back to stare up at the ceiling.

"So, the key to Artemis leaving that bastard forever is to find her mom. Hmm….looks like I have a little detective work to do."

Artemis placed her phone on the nightstand table before crawling into the king sized bed and snuggling into the covers. She sighed in comfort. After all, it was a major upgrade from the horrible box-spring she slept on back in the slums. She nuzzled her head against the plush pillow and allowed her eyes to slide closed. Just before sleep could overcome her small form, her phone began vibrating nosily on the table beside her. With a groan, she reached a hand out to take hold of the device. An email notice was on the screen.

Speedster:

Look, I know it's late and you may think I'm totally insane for saying this…but I suddenly got a bad feeling and decided to hit you up to check on you. Let's just say, I know when someone's in trouble and I couldn't help but to feel that you were the one in trouble.

Artemis's eyes widened at the message. How could he possibly know that she was going through hell that night? Perhaps he was psychic and could read her mind or sense her energy. Hey, there were crazy villains at that very moment who could read minds and control nature, it could very well be possible that this secret admirer of hers possessed powers too.

Archer:

Hey there…Let's just say it's been a rough night and I'd rather not go into detail. Thanks for checking in though. It was…sweet?

Speedster:

That's me, always looking out for my friends. So…about us meeting at the dance…what if we decide to take things further than an email friendship/relationship. Have you ever thought about that?

Archer:

Actually, no. I don't really fantasize or daydream. I never seem to have the time. My busy schedule's has been thwarting of guys for fifteen years now. In fact…I've never really been romantically involved with anyone before.

Speedster:

Seriously? Lucky me!

Archer:

Hey, it's not funny. I happen to think that relationships are a serious thing. Call me picky, but I look for specific things in a guy to ensure that I will be with someone who loves, cares for and respects me as a person and won't just use me for their own personal gain.

Speedster:

Wow…that was really deep Archer. You really feel strongly about this, don't you?

Archer:

Of course I do. So let's get one thing straight…when we meet, I want to meet and see the real you, not some phony charade. I have to know you so I can learn to trust you. Let's just say, I trust very few people in life. So let me ask you this…can I trust you to be the same funny and caring guy you are online when I really meet you, or will you put up a front?

There was a pause after her last message, giving Artemis a few minutes to rest her eyes. The Speedster had her phone vibrating with a new message five minutes later.

Speedster:

The first time we talked to each other, you said you love it most when someone is honest with you, so I'm going to be honest with you now…I will show my real self to you and only you. I'm not ashamed of who I am, I'm just not ready for the world to know the real me. I will admit though…I am glad that you're the first person I can open up to without any second thoughts or worries. You have never judged me and I will never judge you…that's promise.

Archer:

Well, I guess that's a start Look Speedster, I'm not feeling so great right now. I'm going to pop an aspirin and hit the hay. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Speedster:

Most definitely

Artemis smiled and set her phone on the nightstand table once more before finally allowing her body to succumb to slumber. Finally, she wouldn't have to worry about the horror she had suffered that evening. She could finally be left at peace to dream of her beautiful mother and hopes of someday finding her.

A/N: And so ends another chapter. So, go ahead and leave me a review. I am eager to read about your thoughts on the most recent chapter. See you at the next update.

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A/N: Thanks to all of you for reviewing the second chapter. Your reviews really meant a lot to me and they help encourage me to continue on with this story. Reviews let me know what you, my readers, think of the story and where I need areas of improvement. Keep them coming!