Hey readers

This is a sequel to the story to "It's never too late".

For new readers, please read "It's never too late" first!!!!

. please REVIEW and give me some ideas.

I do not own any of the characters except Isabel.

Meeting the parents

Terry found himself lying on a queen-sized bed. He immediately jumped up and saw Isabel still dozing beside her. They had slept together as Terry was too tired to leave.

Terry began to dread his mother's reaction when she found out that he missed school and didn't come home for a whole day. Even Bruce Wayne couldn't assuage his mother's rage this time.

Ever since his father died, Terry's mother kept a close eye on his studies and behaviour. Luckily, with Isabel's occasional help, he scraped a steady C in most subjects.

Isabel's eyelashes fluttered as she realized the absence of a heat source. For about five seconds, they both looked at each other, speechless.

The door opened, ending their silence. Bruce saw the ruffled sheets on which Isabel was still lying on and Terry sitting next to her.

Terry held up both his hands in front of him and said, "It's not what you think, old man."

Isabel rubbed her eyes, not noticing the belligerence in the air.

Bruce~ How dare Mcginnis do such a thing to Isabel? "Isabel, what happened?" Bruce asked in a forced calm voice.

Isabel, who didn't catch any hostility between the two males, replied, "Nothing happened. We just woke up. Extremely tired from last night."

Terry gulped as he knew Bruce's misunderstanding grew.

Bruce growled menacingly, "Mcginnis."

Terry waved his hands desperately and said, "We didn't do anything!"

Suddenly, Isabel understood what was happening and blushed profusely.

When she was with Daniel, she was often shy about kissing and sexual things. So she never really 'kissed' Daniel but rather pecked him on the lips. She could tell that Daniel's body desired more, but her body seemed reluctant. Therefore, she had never thought about sex.

Isabel spoke up just in time to save Terry's nose as Bruce advanced ominously.

"Uncle Bruce, we didn't have sex. I never had." Terry felt his heart skip uncontrollably.

He had always thought that Isabel had given everything she had to Daniel, physical and psychological. He was pleased that Isabel held back in her and Daniel's relationship.

Bruce, on the other hand, wasn't surprised to know that Daniel and Isabel weren't involved intimately. Deep down, he knew that Isabel's love for Daniel never exceeded friendship. It was just that Daniel was interested in her in that way, misleading Isabel to believe that she 'loved' him.

Terry drummed his fingers on the window of the limo, causing Selene to glare at him.

"Why are you in such a good mood today?" Terry just smiled serenely back at her.

As Selene entered the school gate, the school principal rushed towards her and asked worriedly, "Miss Beckinsale, why were you absent yesterday? Are you unsatisfied with our school? Is there anything you would like to change about the school?"

Selene smiled graciously at the sweating man and answered, "No, principal. It's just that I wasn't feeling well yesterday. I apologize for not notifying you."

The principal bowed so quickly when he heard Selene's apology and muttered, "No need to apologize. Our school would do anything to accommodate you, Miss Beckinsale."

As Selene entered the classroom corridor, crowds of students stuffed "Get Well" cards and chocolates in her hands. Terry looked at Selene from a distance and could see how different they were treated.

Terry slipped into the classroom without anyone noticing him.

As he reached his desk, Max poked his back and whispered in his ear, "Terry, you missed Dana's date again! She's so pissed now. You'd better do something."

Terry sighed and walked over to Dana. "Dana?"

Dana turned her head to Max and said determinedly, "Max, I watched a movie yesterday alone. I had one ticket left. I should just call Nelson up to watch with me."

Terry knelt down to look into Dana's eyes. Something in his mind commented that Dana's eyes were so dull compared to Isabel's.

Terry cleared his mind and said, "Please, Dana. I was busy yesterday. With Mr. Wayne."

Dana finally turned to face Terry. "Mr. Wayne or Selene? I see you spend a lot of time with her."

Terry retorted, "Dana, you know that Mr. Wayne ordered me to be with Selene."

"Order? Terry, do you think I am so blind not to see the way you look at her? You promised me to watch a movie with me today, but you forgot because you were having too much fun with Selene!" With that, Dana left the classroom.

Max said snidely, "Terry, you are in so much trouble." Outside the classroom, Selene heard everything.

Terry couldn't feel any pain or hurt after the fight. Dana and he had fights every other day, but somehow still were a couple. Terry did his best to go to all of their dates, but the dates gave him little pleasure.

He couldn't figure his feelings for Dana anymore. Ever since he became the Batman, they had become more distant each day. Terry couldn't tell her about his secret life, thus, Dana didn't know all of him.

His mobile vibrated and he saw a message from his mom. "Terry, be home by 4pm. Better explain yourself."

Terry gulped; he needed someone trustworthy and smart to handle his fuming mother. He turned to Isabel whose eyes were fixed onto the blackboard.

He typed on his phone. "Selene, are you available after 4pm?" His phone vibrated once again.

The message read, "I may have to cancel some recording sessions. What do you need me for?"

He typed back. "I need you to lighten my mom's mood. She is still mad about my absence yesterday." He saw Selene's hands cover her eyes for a while; Terry knew that she was summoning Brainiac.

After a few minutes, the phone vibrated for a last time. "OK, I changed my schedule. I will go with you as it is my fault that you didn't go home."

Terry muttered under his breath, "Thanks." Selene smiled.

Selene told the limo driver not to wait for them today as they were walking to Terry's home. Isabel borrowed Terry's cap and sunglasses from a random classmate. She tied her hair into a bun and hid it under her cap.

During the walk, she walked near to the shadows to avoid any prying reporters. They finally arrived at the apartment. Terry took Isabel's hand and ran up the stairs, ignoring the nosy neighbours and security guards. Then, they were in the apartment to face Terry's mom.

Terry rang the doorbell. The door opened and a small figure appeared. "Mom, look who's back from the dead! Terry came home at last! Hey! Who's that?"

Terry mercilessly slapped his little brother's forehead. "Well, that's Matt, my little brother," Terry introduced with slight contempt.

The rather short boy squinted his blue eyes at Isabel suspiciously. "Who's that?"

He pointed at their still joined hands and shouted, "You're his new girlfriend!"

Terry raised his hand to hit his brother who narrowly escaped. To Terry's disappointment, Isabel slipped her hand back to her short's pocket.

Terry stepped into the living room, beckoning Isabel to follow. The apartment could barely hold 3 people. Isabel pulled down the curtains on windows and removed her sunglasses. She continued to take off her hat and untie her hair, letting her sleek hair frame her face naturally.

Peeking from another room, Matt gasped and ran out to have a closer look at Isabel. "You're…You're…"

"Matt, what's going on?" A red-haired woman walked out of the kitchen to see what the ruckus was about. Mary Mcginnis looked at the stranger, Isabel.

She thought that the girl looked vaguely familiar. Trying to think of where she saw the girl, she coincidentally caught sight of the TV. "For this week's album charts, Selene Beckinsale's "Flight" is still number 1. Well done, Selene! This is the 7th week you're on top!"

Terry saw the astonishment on his family's faces and tried not to laugh. After a few minutes, Terry's mother came to her senses and gestured Terry and Isabel to sit on the couch. Matt, too sat on the couch next to her mother, stared fixatedly at Isabel. Mary still couldn't take her eyes off Selene, who shifted her gaze to the ground.

Then Mary got up from the couch and said courteously, "Miss Beckinsale, do you want something to eat or…?"

Selene stood up too and said with a sweet smile, "Mrs Mcg…"

"Call me Mary."

"Oh, Mary, I came here as Terry's friend so there is no need to pamper me."

Mary felt a bit disappointed when she identified herself as his son's friend but not something more. She had wished that Terry found a decent lady like Selene.

Suddenly, Mary realized that she hadn't started about Terry. "Terry, about yesterday…"

Selene cut in before Terry could speak. "Mary, I am really sorry about yesterday. I wasn't feeling very well yesterday so Mr. Wayne instructed Terry to stay with me. Terry cared for me the whole day so he forgot to inform you. I apologize for the inconvenience I caused to Terry and your family." Selene stood up abruptly and bowed humbly towards Terry's mother.

Mary grabbed Selene's shoulders and said, "It's okay. You don't need to apologize. I wasn't even mad. In fact, I'm sorry for making you apologize."

Terry couldn't help but be astounded by Isabel's ability to manipulate people. Usually, at this moment, his mother would scold him for 30 minutes and ground him for a year.

Mary continued due to her unsatisfied curiousity, "Wow! You're really as beautiful as your pictures in the magazines. Terry told me that you have top grades at school. It would be great if Terry could learn a little from you!"

Selene chuckled and was quite pleased that Terry spoke to his family about her.

Without warning, Matt stood up from the couch and ran towards Selene. He stopped in front of Selene and his face blushed to a rosy red color. "Selene, you're not Terry's girlfriend, right?"

Terry saw Selene shake her head. His little brother shuffled his feet nervously and continued, "So…so, can you be my girlfriend?"

Terry whacked his brother roughly on the head after hearing his request. "Not in your lifetime!" Terry remarked sarcastically.

Before Mary finished probing into Selene's life, Terry cleared his throat and said, "Selene, want to see my room?" Selene nodded, relieved to leave the persistent interrogator. Mary let them go, as she decided that giving them time alone would give them a chance develop a relationship.

"What do you think?" Terry asked as Isabel looked around the 'dump'.

Isabel answered truthfully, "Messy."

Terry scowled and retorted, "Well, not everyone has a private maid to clean up after themselves."

Isabel ignored him and looked at the photograph on his desk. "That's your dad?"

"Yeah." Truthfully, the man in the photograph looked nothing like Terry. Terry looked different from others in the family. He was the only one with raven-black hair and piercing blue eyes.

"We are similar, aren't we? We lost someone dear to us and have double-identites." Terry said, noting the connection between them.

"Yes, I guess so. About Dana, what are you going to do? Do you need me to help?"

Terry sighed at the thought of Dana. "So you heard our argument. I don't know if I want to apologize to her. Our relationship is just so…so not like a relationship."

Isabel sniggered at Terry's lack of vocabulary to describe their relationship. "So you're breaking up with her?"

"No, it's rather like we were never really together."

Isabel thought she heard a tinge of loneliness in his tone and nudged his side with her finger. "At least you're not alone. Maybe we should follow the advice of ex-playboy, Bruce and not fall in love until we're 20 years old." She jested. The bed they sat on shuddered as they chuckled.

Isabel lay back on Terry's bed and gazed dreamily at the ceiling. Terry followed and did the same. "So, how's Selene's music career doing?"

"Just recorded a new song, 'First Love'."

"The song you wrote for Daniel. Great." Terry remarked tonelessly.

Isabel continued to explain, "You know, the song was about Daniel, but more like a farewell song. I thought you could hear the message behind."

"Oh" was what Terry could only say.

He usually was pretty adept at interpreting Selene's songs that came from Isabel's heart; apparently, the old man challenged him to guess the specific message behind the lyrics. Just from the tune and lyrics, Terry could always sense what was going on behind her poker face. However, somehow he misunderstood this song. Did his overwhelming emotions cloud his judgment?

After talking for hours on Terry's bed, they decided that it was time to go to Wayne Mansion to suit up.

As they walked out of the living room, Terry and Selene caught sight of his mom reading a magazine with the cover saying "Selene's new boy?!".

Mary Mcginnis hurriedly hid her magazine away. "Bye, Terry, Selene! Come visit us some time!"

Matt chivalrously opened the door for Selene and released it when Terry motioned to go out.

"You are unbelievable," Terry said before the door banged behind him.

"So, who's that with you in the picture?" Terry said with suppressed suspicion.

Isabel answered nonchalantly, "Justin."

"Justin? You mean the new artist, Justin Grael?"

"Yeah, we just worked on a song last week."

"Oh, I thought…"

"Terry, magazines seldom write the truth. When I first entered the music industry, the paparazzi snapped photos of Bruce and me together and wrote that Bruce was a pedophile taking advantage of me."

Terry couldn't stop himself from sniggering when he imagined how furious the old man was when he read the "shwarbage".

When they reached the Batcave, they knew that something was wrong. Bruce was typing fervently on the computer, with Ace wide awake, staring at the screen.

"Suit up now! A civilian was just attacked." Batman and Supergirl jumped into the Bat-jet. Bruce told them the address through the Batcomputer network.

Batman saw Supergirl's fingers clench into fists. Supergirl ordered worriedly, "Faster!" Batman did as he was told.

Supergirl didn't spend another second in the jet and super-sped into the well-furnished apartment. Batman ran to keep up with her.

There were signs of struggling everywhere. The picture frames which used to hang on walls were sliced open on the ground. The milky white wallpaper barely stuck on the four walls.

Batman felt like there was a whirlwind brewing in the apartment due to Supergirl super-sped search. In a few seconds, the typhoon stopped.

Terry found the now still Supergirl in an equally stashed room looking down at an unconscious boy.

Supergirl stooped down to examine Justin Grael's bruised face. Batman caught a glimpse of the broken nose, swollen eyes and secretly wondered whether this would be the end of his career.

Supergirl scanned Justin's body with her x-ray vision and found several broken ribs and four broken limbs.

She scooped him up with ease and found something clutched in Justin's right hand. Batman supported the body so she could unfold the note.

"You belong to me alone." The note read. Both heroes knew who did this.