Disclaimer: Hm, I wonder, if I dressed up as Batman, does that mean I own it? No? Damn.

Warnings:

A/N: Okay, I have next to no knowledge at all with anyone that is not in the cartoon Batman Beyond. That means, I have no idea of anyone's likes/dislikes/wording/life of anyone from people like the Justice Ledge. I don't even know if they have kids or not! So the Queens I'm using here is not, and I repeat with caps and all, IS NOT! Green Arrows. He's probably as old as Bruce, so I thought he must have passed down his company to his kid or something.


What Could Have Been and Loose Ends

The apartment was empty besides Tracey. She was sitting her room with the content of her travel bag scattered around her. Tracey looked at her quickly thrown together bag and frowned. She glanced at the calendar on the wall and the clock above it. A week has passed since she received the call from her mother. A week since she left her job and her apartment in Star City. She nibbled on her bottom lip before she picked up her cell and turned on her laptop. There was no way in Hell she was leaving her family again, especially after the death of her father. But her things were still in Star City and there was her job to take into account. She had to go back, if only for a few days.

"Queens."

The man who she worked for, Jonathan Queens, the grandson of the former Green Arrow, was head of the research department. His father was still head of the company. When Tracey first applied to Queens Industries, she thought she was going to be an assistant in the department but never the personal assistant and secretary to the head of the department. She never thought she would become secretary to him. At first she was skeptical of his reason why he would hire a teenage girl to be his secretary. She had expected a perverted man to be waiting for her when she went in for her interview. Imagine her surprise when he treated her with respect and intrigue.

"Hello Mr. Queens, its Tracey McGinnis."

"How are things with the family?" She smiled slightly as she typed away on her laptop. There was so much to do. She had to type out a resignation letter for Mr. Queens as well as updates her résumé. She also had to book a trip back to her apartment and back. So much to do, so little time.

"Not the worst but could be better. Let's forgo the formalities Jon. You know why I'm calling…" Her voice trailed off at the end. She was honestly sad to leave Queens Industries. Even though it was only for a few months, not even half a year, Tracey made some strong bonds with her coworkers. None which matched up to the relationship she had with Jonathon but most bosses were usually either several years older and never only a decade or less older. Jonathon was only nine years older than Tracey when she started working. They had a closer bond than others.

Jon sighed before he chuckled. "Not even half a year and I already have to search for another secretary. And an assistant. You're more trouble than I thought you were, McGinnis," he joked. She blushed slightly when she remember the fact that she was the longest lasting secretary he had since he started working there, which was four years previously. Each previous secretary lasted only a month most before another one had to be hired. After a while, Jon stopped searching for a secretary and started being his own secretary as well as the department head. It did not turn out well. Tracey was lucky he finally snapped when he did and decided to hire the only applicant who had credentials in the computer engineering field as well as minors in Professional Writing.

She laughed sadly at their situation. "I told you that after a month Jon. I'm sorry for making you go through this again. But I'm needed here."

"I know that silly." The causal teasing manner between the two was familiar. Tracey smiled as she finished up booking her ticket and started typing her resignation letter. "I'll need that resignation letter soon though. If you could come by this week, I could hand you my recommendation letter as well." Great minds think alike as they say. Jon was thinking two steps ahead just as Tracey followed closely behind.

"Thanks Jon."

"It's no problem Tracey. I only wish we had more time." There was a yearning in his words. A chance of a future with someone who could have been. Tracey wasn't blind to his affections for her. It took her a while before she accepted the fact that he had feelings for her, it always took her time to accept things. His feelings for her started after a month or two after she started working. It took Tracey a week to accept his feelings and another month to realize she could have liked him as well.

"Same," she whispered back. A moment of silence for a future that will never happen, Tracey said, "I'll see you soon. Thanks for everything again Jon."

With a tender tone, Jon whispered over the phone, "See you soon, Trace."

Tracey looked at her cell for a period of time. She knew, no matter how much she forced herself, she could never love Jon. She could like him, be with him, be content with her life with him, but she would never be able to love him. She was so lost in her thoughts of Jon and the possible future she didn't hear the apartment door opening or the bedroom door opening earlier.

"Who's Jon?" Her mother's voice startled Tracey into falling off the bed. She scrambled back up and glared playfully at her dear mother over the covers

"Mom! Don't scare me like that." She growled lightly as she moved back onto the bed. Her mother giggled as she took a seat next to her.

"So tell me, who's Jon?"

A bright red streak appeared on Tracey's face as she tried to explain who Jon was. "Jon is– was- my boss." She picked at the comforter beneath her. "I just called to tell him I'm dropping by soon to hand in my letter of resignation." She didn't look up and missed the dismayed look Mary had on her face.

"Oh sweetie, you don't have to." She raised a hand and placed it on Tracey's face. She rubbed her cheek gently in comfort.

Tracey looked directly at her mother. Her face set and determined while her eyes showed the indecisiveness. "Yes I do mom. I can't go back to Star City like nothing happened." She detached her mother's hand from her cheek but held onto it with both of her hands. "'Sides, you need me here. Terry needs me here. I can get to know Matt better now. I can't just leave again." Deep within Tracey's heart, she wanted to leave. But she knew, with mind, body, and soul that she could not leave her family until they were ready to move on.

With proud, teary eyes, Mary smiled at her only daughter. "You've grown up. And I missed it." Mary lamented missing on the three years of her daughter's life. If her daughter was any regular child, the most she would have missed would be talks about boys and class. Tracey wasn't like any regular child though. She was a genius, a child prodigy who graduated college within three years of hard work. And Mary missed it all.

"Momma, it was my fault. I should have stayed. I shouldn't have left you all. I'm a horrible daughter." She blurted out in a rush. The moment Tracey left the city she feared how her mother and father would react. They were her parents. She felt horrible leaving them behind even if she felt relieved leaving behind the city.

As Tracey's mother and a once rebellion herself, Mary understood a little of what went on in her daughter's mind. She hugged her tightly before returning the favor of staring directly into her eyes. "Tracey, it's not your fault. Your Father and I, we shouldn't-"

Tracey hastily shook her head. "No Mom. If I was strong enough to stay, maybe things would have turned out better." She knew she was weak. She knew since she was a child. After leaving Gotham however, she had to become stronger. She was alone in a new city where she knew no one. With a new determination set, she strived to become stronger. Admitting she was weak was another step towards becoming stronger. "But I was too scared. I didn't want to be here anymore. I wasn't meant for this city."

"Yet you're here even though you don't want to be here. You're stronger now." Mary was proud of her daughter. She remembered when Tracey was a timid little girl. Always in the library, she would hide among the shelves. She was an anti-social child who grew to open to the world.

"Maybe." Deciding to change the subject, Tracey continued. "So how was your day?"

"Hm, better than yesterday." Mary allowed for the change in subject. But as a mother as well as a woman, she needed more on the juicy bit of gossip she caught wind of. "But I'm more interested in this Jon fellow."

Tracey's face had returned to its original lightly tanned tone before her mother inquired about Jon. All her blood came rushing to her face and she felt a little dizzy from the rush. "Mom! He's just a friend….who was my boss…"

Mary heard the underlying tone of something more. This 'Jon' was something more than just her little girl's boss. "And?"

Tracey nibbled on her bottom lip again. She looked down on her hands and her eye caught on the simple bangle Jon brought her a few weeks back, as a friendly present. In a low tone, she whispered out, "…And we could have been something if we had time."

Mary followed her gaze and noticed the silver bangle that hanged from her daughter's wrist. It wasn't too big or too thin, just the perfect size. At first glance, it would appear plain. A second glance, Mary noticed the tiny etchings of vines and leaves. The bangle would have cost her several months of paychecks. To gift her daughter this present, Jon could have been something lasting.

As they continued to talk, Mary pulled the girl into the kitchen so she could start cooking dinner. As she moved around the kitchen, she remembered the question she had wanted to ask first but forgotten to. "So when will you be going back?"

"Going back? Who's going where?" Terry, who returned home minutes after the two females entered the kitchen. Mary glanced over at her son and he appeared better, calmer than he was a few days before.

Tracey looked straight at Terry. Out of the three family members, Terry would be the only one who might protest to her departure back to her apartment. He didn't want her to leave, but if she was to stay in Gotham, she needed to go back.

"Star City. I need to tie up loose ends before I move back."


Read and Review Please!

A/N: Okay, I can't believe I finished this! I finished this at 12:54 am on 10/17/11 and I am damn proud of it. Took me forever and I'm exhausted. Okay, let's see, what do I need to say after I finished typing this out...

I wasn't planning on using Jon in here but he just started manifesting in my mind and Tracey just got along with him differently than how she gets along with Terry. The difference is very nice to write. I don't know, maybe he'll pop back up again. I feel like he would. I like Mary, or at least, my Mary. She's more motherly and she's cool. I still remember the tattoo on her ankle! She's a rebel! Or she had the makings of one.

Hope you all like what's happening so far, so enjoy and don't forget to review! I like reviews, they make me giddy! ^_^ The more giddy and happy I am, the more likely I'll continue to write.