Chapter Two
Carter Kyle glanced nervously at his phone, hoping for a message from his mom.
Nothing.
She'd explained she might be a bit late, he reminded himself. She had a meeting before the Glenn Faeles annual Fall Party, when the school stayed open late and parents and families were invited to the school to see some of the projects from the first half of fall semester, meet with teachers in a more relaxed circumstance than most parent/teacher conferences, and enjoy punch and cookies (or buy something a bit more edible from the Cooking Club's bake sale).
She was trying, he knew: trying to fit in, be a normal parent and even sort of hold down a real job, though he wasn't silly enough to think that writing a style column for the local paper, even in Gotham City, was enough to pay for their lifestyle.
He didn't ask though. Sometimes it was easier that way.
Carter had long known his mother was a thief, though they never precisely discussed it. For most of his life, they'd wandered the world, living day to day, sometimes living well, sometimes lean. At the same time, pretty objects came, were enjoyed for a bit, then went again. And when things got too tight, she would disappear in the dead of night, the black cat costume she kept hidden in the back of her closet fitting her body like a glove.
Afterward, the news would nearly always be full of dramatic stories of wildly grandiose thefts and his mom would read them aloud at the breakfast table and they would discuss them like they did the rest of the news.
She never admitted anything, in fact was quite firm that stealing was generally wrong, but there would often be muttered asides and wry comments. "Wasn't even worth half that," or, "Please, insurance fraud much? You never even owned that." Then there were the times her lips would curve into a feline grin and she'd wink at him, then make some joke like, "That must have been tricky. A thief would almost have to fly like Superman to pull that off."
Then they'd share a secret smile and move on to another topic. Carter was always expected to have a thought out opinion and she treated anything he had to say with quiet respect, correcting him sometimes, other times offering counter arguments, but never treating him like he didn't know anything because he was a kid.
Her stealing had never really mattered to Carter. He knew it was wrong, but Cat Kyle wasn't like other adults. She was fun and carefree and endlessly curious, and if her morality wasn't precisely typical, she definitely had her rules and stuck to them religiously.
What mattered to the boy was how endlessly gentle she was with him and that she was nearly always there and smiling and offering words of support and guidance. She played like a child and never lost her temper with him over the sorts of things he knew made other parents go ballistic. She laughed at money stolen from her wallet and the one time he'd shoplifted from a local grocer, she'd only chastised him for getting caught. But she'd made a point of paying the man back, then sat Carter down and explained that small grocers like that barely made a profit and even tiny thefts could mean less food on their table. She'd looked at him very seriously and asked if he really wanted to be the kind of person who would have someone go hungry because he wanted some silly toy?
In that moment, she taught him that thieves needed to be careful in more ways than one and he never did that again. More important, she taught him there were kinds of people he wanted to be, and kinds of people he didn't want to be.
Only one thing he'd done had ever truly raised her ire. One year they'd stayed in one place long enough for him to enroll in a local school and he'd found himself bullied. Not wanting to draw attention, he'd tried to just ignore it until things turned physical one day after school and he finally lost his temper. He'd been on the verge of beating Billy McConnell to a pulp when his mom appeared. She'd waded through the mob of children screaming encouragement and hauled Carter back before he could land a single blow.
That Billy McConnell was a much-hated bully had been no defense as his mother dragged him home and made him swear he'd never hit another child. Unless he was truly scared of getting hurt, he was to take a blow before throwing one. Carter had yelled, screaming that it wasn't fair, and accusing his mother of caring more for Billy than for him, but Cat had been firm. Finally, looking at her crying son, she'd pulled him into her arms, rocking him gently. "You don't understand, honey," she'd whispered at last. "I'm not protecting them. I'm protecting you." She'd kissed his temple. "Kids like Billy, they're just kids. Bratty and obnoxious, but kids. Most of them will outgrow being jackasses ... and you could hurt them...badly. I don't want you to have to live with that. You'll understand some day."
Carter had been nine that day, and at thirteen, he already kind of understood. He was stronger than other kids, faster and couldn't be hurt nearly as easily. As big a jerk as Billy McConnell had been, even he hadn't deserved what Carter could have done to him.
Well, not much anyway, he thought with a smirk.
Mostly though, he understood. There were rules to the games his mother played or at least to the way she played them. Sometimes when he read the papers, and saw the things others did, he shuddered in fear that maybe she was a darker figure than she seemed. It soothed some of his fears that she'd seemed as bothered by the dark stories as he was. She wasn't like that, even if there were other people who were.
But he still had his fears and the knowledge of those other people always left him a little scared of who she might have to deal with in her line of work.
So when his mom ran late to the party, he could feel the tension building at the back of his neck. People came and went, kids showing off for parents who appeared duly impressed.
He hated things like this, feeling alone, and a little lost. He wanted her there. She always knew when he was getting overwhelmed. She'd slide an arm across his shoulders and soothe away that instinctive nervousness.
He checked his phone again.
"Hey, Carter."
His chin snapped up, his smile automatic as he saw who stood there and felt her light touch on his upper arm. "Miss Wayne," he said, relaxing a bit. His teacher was kinda like his mom. She made him feel calmer and knew how to ease some of the stress that came with dealing with too many people.
She grinned, her hand migrating to his shoulder. "Is your mom here tonight?" she asked, looking around curiously. Kara had been hoping to meet the woman for awhile now. They had a parent/teacher meeting scheduled, but it wasn't for a couple of weeks yet.
"Not yet," he said, a small frown creasing his brow. "She had some kind of meeting today and she warned me she might be a little late."
She squeezed his shoulder lightly, the gentle touch comforting, Without commenting, she guided him to a couple of seats out of the main pathway. He'd been her student long enough for her to realize he did better if things were a little quieter. "I'm sure she'll be here soon," she assured him. "She's the new style columnist at the Gotham Observer, right?"
He nodded, but didn't add anything.
Kara didn't press. She'd heard the rumors that suggested his mother had been some rich man's mistress before coming to Gotham and the last thing she wanted was to embarrass the kid. "Well, I'm sure she's good at her job then." She grinned. "They only hire the best." Her dad owned the paper even if he didn't have anything to do with the daily running of the place, but Barbara Gordon, the editor in chief was really good.
He nodded a little uncertainly. "She's trying really hard," he mumbled, head momentarily down.
Kara thought back to the glimpse she'd had of the other woman, a tiny thrill tightening in the pit of her stomach. Which was possibly somewhat inappropriate, but there was something about the glimpse she'd had of her and the way Carter talked about his mom that left her fascinated, even if it felt slightly silly. She didn't know the woman, still hadn't so much as spoken to her on the phone. Maybe it was the relationship she'd glimpsed between mother and son that day coupled with what she'd seen of Carter. He clearly struggled with some things, but he was a great kid, smart and funny and interested in everything. Kara was very curious about the woman who'd raised him. "I know you guys traveled a lot before you moved here..." she murmured. He'd talked enough for her to figure that out.
He looked a little uncomfortable as he nodded. "Yeah, she really wants us to settle down though." He looked up at Kara with wide, blue eyes. "She's trying really hard to...y'know...make things more stable." He looked back down at his phone. "I think she feels bad sometimes because we moved around so much...like she damaged me somehow." He shrugged and shook his head to indicate he didn't feel that way about it.
"I'm sure she's just trying to give you the best life she can."
"I know." He sighed softly. "I just worry about her sometimes."
Kara nodded, understanding all too well. "I worry about my family all the time," she confided. At his curious look, she explained, "They have some kinda dangerous hobbies." She rolled her eyes. "And my real parents...my birth parents," she specified. "They died when I was about your age, so it's really scary sometimes that my adopted family aren't always careful. I get scared I'll be alone again." She wasn't quite sure where the confession came from, only that the words felt somehow right and from the way Carter was watching her, they'd touched him.
"My mom's the only family I have," he said in a very small voice.
Kara rubbed his upper back lightly even as she felt her heart break the tiniest bit. The poor kid. She knew what it felt like to be afraid of being alone. "I'm sure your mom is really aware of that and really careful," she soothed. She paused a moment, considering the boy, then added, "But if you ever need help, ever need someone on your side, you can call me." She slipped her card from a coat pocket and took a moment to add her private number to the school number and official email address. It was totally against the rules, but she liked the kid and she hated the thought of him being all alone if something happened. "That's my cell. If you need help, you can call me."
He peered at it for a moment, then up at her.
"It's okay, you can trust me," she assured him.
He nodded after a long, thoughtful moment and tucked the card into his cell case. He was just drawing a breath to say something when his phone meowed at him. "Mom," he said instantly as he thumbed it on.
A little uneasy, Kara subtly tucked her hair behind her ear to eavesdrop more easily. Not that she was worried exactly, but a little edgy. It was just that there was so much craziness going on in the city. A woman alone at night could get in trouble too easily, and clearly, the kid needed his mom.
"I'm so sorry I'm running late, kiddo, but I should be there in about ten minutes."
"Everything's okay though?"
"Absolutely fine," she assured him. "I got caught in a little bit of a bind and lost track of time for a few minutes."
"Things have only barely started," he assured her, then flashed a smile at his teacher. "And Miss Wayne is here—"
"Ah, the wondrous science teacher..."
Kara smiled ever so slightly and felt her cheeks heat at the admiration she heard in the other woman's voice.
"Well, I'm very much looking forward to meeting her...and seeing all the displays and thoroughly embarrassing you by demanding to know if she realizes how brilliant you are—"
"Mo-om," Carter complained, but it was easy to see how pleased he was by her comment.
"Hanging up now so I don't wrap myself around a telephone pole. See you in a few minutes."
Carter hung up and beamed at Kara. "She'll be here soon."
"See, everything's okay."
He nodded and slipped his phone into a pocket. "Yeah," he exhaled, relieved to have heard from her. "She—"
Kara's phone let out a string of high-pitched chirps and she held up a hand—amplified bat calls. It was her own, private joke. Her dad's ringtone was similar, if differently pitched so she could tell them apart. "My turn for the phone thing," she grumbled and flicked it on. "Hey, Alex, what can I do for you?"
"I kinda need a lift," Kara's adopted sister cut straight to the chase, sounding thoroughly pissed.
Kara looked around herself. "I'm at a school thing right now. Can it wait?"
"Not really, no," Alex bit out.
Carter ducked his head, not really trying to listen, but very aware of the conversation going on next to him. Extra sensitive hearing was one of the reasons he wasn't that crazy about crowds and made it nearly impossible not to listen in on private conversations.
Kara glanced at the boy sitting next to her, noting his hunched body language. She really wanted to stay and keep him company at least until his mom got there. "Not even a few—"
"No!" Alex snapped, then let out a low growl. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a bitch, but I'm kinda in a bind here...and I really need a lift."
"But—"
"My car's dead and this isn't the nicest neighborhood," Alex added sharply.
Kara's shoulders sagged as she recognized the signal for trouble. Not an emergency—that was a different phrase—but bad enough, Besides, she reminded herself, Alex wouldn't be calling her if it wasn't real. Her sister was more typically too independent by half. "Okay, let me just get outa here and I'll be on my way." She dropped the phone to her side without breaking the connection. "I'm so sorry, Carter, but I've gotta go." She shrugged, feeling bad about leaving him alone when she knew these things were hard for him. "My sister's car died in a bad part of town and I need to pick her up."
He nodded. "Drive carefully."
"I will. You have a good night." Kara wasn't quite sure what drove her, but she reached out to gently smooth a few curls off his forehead. "And tell your mom I'm so sorry I missed her. Hopefully we'll cross paths soon."
"Hopefully," he agreed with a smile that seemed a bit sad to her. "Bye."
She said a few more quick goodbyes on her way out, and lifted the phone back to her ear as she stepped into the chilly night air. "Sorry," she said a little breathlessly.
"No problem," Alex muttered. "Not like I'm in a hurry or anything. Make sure you say goodbye to every teacher and kid in the school."
"I'm sorry," Kara repeated her apology as she climbed into her car. "But I do have responsibilities here." She pulled out, then had to pause while an expensive sports car pulled into her recently vacated spot in front of her.
"Yeah, right," Alex snarked. "Nothing like one of those school party emergencies."
Kara took a deep breath and blew it out through her nose before asking coolly, "Let me know where you are and I'll come get you."
"Now that's the funny part..." Alex began...
()()()()()()()()()()
"Hey, kiddo," Cat Kyle said, smiling easily as she found her son in a quiet area off to one side of the main hallway.
Returning her smile, he bounded to his feet and hurried over. He didn't rush into her arms like he might once have done, but there was a solid hug and he continued to lean against her side when the hug broke. She hooked an arm across his shoulders, well aware that he would be feeling slightly overwhelmed with the crowd milling on all sides.
"Did your meeting go well?" he asked.
"I achieved the desired outcome." She shrugged. "Though some of the negotiations were a bit tricky." At his pointed look, she shook her head. "It's all dull adult stuff. Nothing for you to worry about." She ruffled his hair. "So how about we do something much more interesting...namely take a look around...meet people...network. I heard a rumor your favorite teacher's here."
Carter made a small face. "She just left."
Cat peered down at her son, taking in his obvious disappointment. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said without a trace of sarcasm and tugged him a little more firmly against her side. "I was looking forward to meeting the woman who could make you love school."
"That's an ugly accusation, Mom. I don't love school. I like science class." He turned a serious look her way. "Lots of opportunities to blow stuff up in science class," he added perfectly deadpan.
She frowned uncertainly until his serious expression broke into a grin. "Brat," she growled. "Well, then at least show me the damage," she said with a dramatic flair and a tiny wink. She straightened her shoulders, and peered out into the busy hallway with a serious air befitting a quest to the deepest, darkest heart of somewhere. "Lead on, MacDuff."
He side-eyed her, but grinned. "The cafeteria's this way," he said, pulling her along. "They have punch and cookies...and a bake sale."
"Is that a hint?"
"I am a growing boy," he pointed out helpfully.
She laughed softly. "All right. I could probably spring for a few cookies. Maybe even a couple of cupcakes," she agreed cheerfully. "But in trade, you have to show me actual classrooms...and," she added pointedly, "introduce me to actual teachers who are here tonight...any missing favorites notwithstanding...and discuss the content of actual classes. Deal?"
"Deal," he agreed and didn't even bother to complain when she ruffled his hair like he was still ten or something.
()()()()()()()()
