CHAPTER 9 – MOTHER KNOWS BEST

The two women stared at each other, not knowing what to say or what to think. Krystal wanted to speak but words couldn't form, she just continued to gaze into her mother's blue eyes. She remembered them being brighter but they were definitely the same eyes. Her hair was shorter too, cut off at the neck and frayed out; she wore a baby blue blazer and skirt with a white under shirt and matching heels. The mother kneeled next to her then, never looking away, her body started to tremble and tears formed, she embraced her and began to cry. Krystal lifted up her sore arms and hugged her mother back. Her eyes wandered around the room, she wanted to smile but she couldn't, nothing made since!

"Oh Krystal! I thought you were dead!" The mother cried. She pulled back from Krystal and pushed her hair away from her eyes. She caressed her cheek. "This is so wonderful, you have been returned to me!" Krystal slowly looked back at the man who had previously been attacking her as he hung his head and twiddled his fingers. The mom noticed all of her injuries then. "What's all of this?" She became enraged. She glared at the man. "Why is she injured like this?!" She noticed his scratches as well and stood up, walking up to him. "Explain you buffoon!" She slapped him with front of her hand. He cringed and backed away.

"I was just uh…returning her but she got out of hand…" Krystal clutched her fists,

"He was trying to kill me!" She blurted. The mom glared at him.

"Is this true?" She said coldly. The man realized he was still wielding the AK and dropped it to the floor.

"I knew if you knew she was alive, you'd become distracted!" He tried defending himself. "I was thinking of you, babe!" She slapped him again.

"DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT! I am not your babe!" She picked up the dropped weapon and started to back him into a coroner.

"I…I'm sorry!"

"You were going to kill my daughter, in my own place of business?" Place of business? Krystal thought, she works here? The man's pupils grew as he stared at the weapon; he then gritted his teeth and grabbed the barrel of it.

"Like you ain't done that before!" He yelled. The mom pulled the trigger then, several rounds went off as Krystal hid her face; she didn't want to see what happened.

"Hmph…" The man's hand fell to the floor next to her foot. "Should've kept his mouth shut…" She threw the gun next to his lifeless body and turned back towards Krystal. "Ugh! Now look! He's ruined my new outfit." Krystal uncovered her face and started to shake. "Baby, you don't have to worry about that man anymore. Now, let's go get you fixed up." She went to help Krystal off the ground but she pushed her away. The mom was shocked. "Krystal-?!"

"What does he mean?" She said shallowly, looking away from her mother.

"What?"

"WHAT DOES HE MEAN!?" She shouted then staring at her mother. Tears ran down her cheeks. "What did you do before?! How are you alive?!" Krystal stood herself up.

"Krystal…honey…" She tried to sooth her and shush her. "None of that matters now, a bad man tried to take you away but no one can take you away now…" Just then, a motorcycle busted through the same door the mom had entered through. Robin jumped off the bike and started to run for Krystal,

"Krystal, I'm here!" He yelled. Quickly, the mom drew a small handgun out from her purse and pointed it towards Robin. Krystal gasped as she went to fire.

"No! Stop!" She pushed her mom's arm down sending the bullet into Robin's upper left leg. He fell in pain. "ROBIN!" She ran to him.

"Oh…sorry…" The mom said. "Force of habit…" Robin held his leg and gritted his teeth.

"I'm okay…" He said.

"You got shot! I don't think you're okay!" Krystal yelled back. Robin tried to stand.

"Nah, I'll just walk it off…" He put pressure on it but fell back over, Krystal supporting him.

"Robin! Just stay down!" She turned sharply to her mother. "Why did you do that?!" Her mother raised her hands.

"I thought he was trying to take you away."

"Is that what happened with dad?" She said holding back tears.

"What?"

"Is that what that man meant by 'you doing this before?'" She started to raise her voice.

"Krystal…I…"

"NO! NO MORE EXCUSES! YOU START ANSWERING ME NOW!" She clutched her fists. Her mother frowned and tears began to well up.

"You don't want to know the truth…" Krystal glared at her mother as she sighed. "I…" She paused. "I was…or…well…still am, a high end business woman…"

"For drugs." Krystal stated. Her mom became shocked but quickly smiled.

"Well, yes." She paused. "It caused me a lot of enemies. One of them must have caused the fire; I woke up just in time! I barely got out! I tried to get you and Anthony out but I-!" She began to cry. Krystal walked towards her mother and hugged her. They both cried in each other's arms.

"Then why was there accelerate in your room?" Robin blurted, still on the ground. Krystal pushed slightly back from her mother and stared her in the face.

"I…uh…" Krystal became disgusted and quickly grabbed the gun from her mother's hand and turned it on her. She backed away still aiming it towards her mother.

"STOP LIEING TO ME!" She yelled. She was on the verge of a mental break.

"Krystal, you don't wana do that!" Robin shouted. The mom raised her hands once more and tried to calm Krystal.

"Krystal this is all just a misunderstanding." Krystal cocked the gun and cried out,

"THE TRUTH!"

"Okay, okay!" The mom said, "He was going to take you and Anthony away…"

"Who? Dad?"

"We had an argument about my business in the drug world; I was going to get us a lot of money. I was very successful!" Krystal listened, body trembling, holding the silver, weighted piece in her hand. "He said he didn't want you all living that life, he was going to leave me and take you all away, he was going to report me and all my crew and turn us in! I would never see you all again!" Krystal couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her face squished and she shook her head.

"You started the fire?" She asked in almost a whisper. The mom hesitantly nodded her head. Krystal felt like she was going to puke. She dropped the gun and covered her mouth, turning away.

"I didn't realize how fast it was going to spread! I thought I would have enough time to get you and your brother out! But once I lit the match, the whole place seemed to erupt!" Tears flowed down her face, she was sincere. Robin finally managed to stand himself up.

"You killed your own child…for drugs…" The mother glared at him.

"I didn't mean to! I thought the fire killed you both!" She turned to Krystal. "That's what my men said! I thought I had no one so I just focused on my job!"

"That's why he wanted to get rid of me…because he knew if you found out I was still alive…" Krystal stated.

"I would search for you, yes! I would be less focused on the drug trade!" Krystal turned back to her mother as Robin scooted against a wall behind her. "But now, I have you! We can be in this work together!" Krystal shook her head.

"No…" Her mother's body shook with her arms held out towards Krystal, inviting her in but she would not come. "You killed dad…you killed Anthony…"

"Krystal baby, I love you." The mother pleaded but Krystal still shook her head.

"Then turn yourself in."

"What?"

"If you love me, then do the right thing." The mother hesitated but slowly nodded.

"Okay…I'll turn myself in…" She walked towards Krystal but then swiftly grabbed the handgun she had dropped and pointed it towards her. Krystal's expression didn't change. It was like all emotion had left her. "I can't let you all bring me in! I've gotten too big in this world to just let it go!" Robin knew he had to think of something quick. Krystal slowly walked towards her mother. "What are you doing?! Stay back!" Krystal put her forehead right next to the barrel of the hand piece.

"Krystal!" Robin shouted. The mother's eyes wiggled back and forth.

"You already killed my heart and soul, so go ahead and kill the rest of me." The mother put her finger next to the trigger and gritted her teeth. She slowly tried to pull but then let go. She couldn't do it. She dropped her arm down and stared at Krystal.

"I'm sorry…" She said lowly.

"Me too…" The mother turned and started to run away when Robin threw his batarang which knocked the gun out of her hand. He then threw his grappling rope that wrapped her up and caused her to face plant the concrete floor. Conveniently, the police and Batman arrived just as he had caught her. Krystal stood in the same position, motionless. The police ran to the captured woman and stood her up. Batman aided Robin in walking.

"You alright?" He asked staring at his leg.

"Yeah, nothing I haven't dealt with before." They both looked at Krystal who was now surrounded by police, still expressionless. "But…I don't think she will be for a while…"

Krystal was taken to the hospital, the same one she had previously been at with Dick. The same one that held the second degree burned Miss. Chain and the same one that held Valeri. Luckily, Valeri only had minor scrapes due to the shattered glass from the window so she was quickly reunited with Krystal. With everything that happened, seeing Valeri's bright smile and face of innocence brought a slight bit of cheer to Krystal's soul. Krystal had a few broken ribs, deep gashes in her legs, but most of her injuries consisted of contusions and scratches. Although her physical wounds would heal rather quickly, her mental ones would not. The both of them were soon released from the hospital but where were they to go? Their only home was destroyed and their caretaker was still being cared for herself. They entered the waiting room to see all the other children from the orphanage there as well. Krystal couldn't stand to look at them, she felt as though everything was her fault. She looked down and away until she was embraced by a group hug from all the children. This was her family. It was then that they heard a cough come from behind them, Krystal turned to see Dick Grayson leaning on a crutch.

"Ohhh, it's your boyfriend." Valeri said. Krystal faintly smiled and walked to him.

"I um…I'm sorry you're fall break has kinda sucked." Dick chuckled.

"Nah, more eventful than sitting around studying." They smiled at each other.

"What happened to you?" Jonathan asked Dick.

"Uh, hunting accident." Jonathan thought,

"People hunt here?"

"Jonathan, can you give us a minute?" Krystal asked politely. Jonathan smiled and nodded then stepped away. Krystal and Dick became very close to each other. He stared down into those eyes that were so bright a few days prior, they had started to fade.

"Look, Bruce knows this really good psychiatrist-"

"Yeah, the police informed me that Mr. Wayne was going to fund my, what'd they call it? Oh yeah, 'mental recovery.'"

"This isn't something you can do on your own." Krystal smiled.

"I know. I'm taking it." She paused. "It just all seems so unreal, like…" She rubbed her forehead. "…I don't believe she really wanted to kill Anthony but…" She paused again. "…she killed our dad…" Dick held her. "She couldn't shoot me though, after all that, I was still her daughter."

"You were still family." She pulled away from Dick slightly and looked at the other children as a doctor came into the waiting room.

"This is my family." She looked at Dick. "But without a shelter, Child Services is going to have to split us all up into different homes." Dick smiled.

"You don't have to worry about that. Bruce bought out an old apartment complex from a bank." He put his hands on her shoulders. "It all belongs to you all now." She smiled as the doctor motioned for the large group to now come and see Miss. Chain.

"You two have done so much for me…for us…how do I ever…?"

"By living." Dick said. Krystal slightly grinned and nodded. They kept staring at each other as the other kids began to follow the doctor. Valeri turned from the group and said,

"Come on Krystal! Miss. Chain will be happy to see you!" They both looked towards the group as Krystal took a deep breath.

"You should go." Dick said, Krystal nodded and turned towards the door but stopped,

"Oh!" She said abruptly and turned back to Dick. She ran towards him then and kissed him. He was surprised at first but then held her and closed his eyes. Valeri stuck out her tongue out in disgust. Krystal pulled back and they shared a smile. "Thank you." She said softly. She then ran back towards her friends as they went through the double doors where a family of unwanted and forgotten children gathered around their surrogate mother laughing, giggling, and thankful that everyone was okay.

"You're welcome." Dick grinned as he turned and hobbled out of the hospital onto a dark street where a familiar light lit up the midnight sky.