DesertedMirage Says: Wow, did those reviews crack me up! (I mean that in a good way.) You guys had me rolling. I'm so glad you're enjoying this and I will do my best to answer your questions in these next chapters.

Silverquickstar, you'll get to know Alicia in this chapter and the rest, and she would definitely defend Max in whatever way necessary, even though fighting isn't quite her style. She'd be a little concerned with her hair or clothes getting messed up, but for her little sister, it's worth it. ;)

kolbyirish, no worries, Max will have plenty of opportunities to do some "defending" in the future (hint hint)

ORIONSTORM04, thank you very much, your encouragement is priceless.

Ferlinda the Dreamweaver, glad you're still with me! I think you might be onto something. ;)

Okay, I'm shutting up before I give something away. But one last thing, Batgirl will most definitely re-appear in this story. I guarantee.

(Zips mouth closed)

"Alicia! I wanna' play with it now! It's my turn!" I yelled at my sister in seven-year-old fashion.

"No! Mommy said that I could play all I wanted 'cause I've been a good girl." Alicia defended as she held the doll in her arms.

It wasn't fair, she had been playing with it for too long. It was my turn, so I snatched the doll.

"Give it back Max, or I'll tell Mommy!" Alicia screamed.

"Max, Alicia, enough!" Daddy intervened as he entered the room.

"But Daddy, Max took Mikayla away! It was my turn, Mommy said so." Alicia began to pout, her eyes welling up with fake tears.

Daddy sighed and turned to me.

"Max, is this true?"

I looked down and reluctantly nodded yes.

"Alright then. Give Mikayla back to Alicia and say you're sorry."

I'd rather suck lemons!

I grumbled under my breath, and somewhere "I'm sorry" came out as well.

Alicia grinned sweetly, glad to have the doll back.

"It's okay, Maxie. I forgive you," She accepted condescendingly, pretending to be nice.

Daddy smiled in approval, and his cell phone began to ring.

"You two be good, okay?"

"Okay," voiced Alicia and I in unison as Daddy left to take the call.

Alicia quickly stuck her tongue out at me as he walked away.

"Hey!" I started to shout, but she ran off to her room, doll in hand.

The doorbell rang, keeping me from chasing after her for revenge.

I scrambled up from the living room floor to get the door.

"Just a second, Maxie," interrupted Mommy as she arrived before I could. "Let me make sure it's him first."

"It's just Terry!" I sighed, impatiently waiting for her to open the door.

Sure enough, it was Terry. Earlier, I had invited him over to play. It was a holiday and school was out.

"Hi!" I greeted enthusiastically.

"Hi!"

Terry walked inside, followed by his mother. Both were dressed in raincoats.

"Some weather we're having for winter, huh, Mary?" asked Mommy as she held the door open.

Terry's mom laughed, removing her rain coat.

"It sure is. The traffic's a mess. I'm just glad the kids didn't have school today. Is Chris liking the new job?"

Mommy chuckled.

"Only when he gets his way. I keep telling him to be patient."

"C'mon, let's go exploring," proposed Terry as the grown-ups continued with their chat in the kitchen.

"Okay. But I wish we could go outside," I puffed a sigh.

"We can go in Alicia's room !" Terry's eyes lit up.

I snickered.

"Yeah, let's go!"

The door to Alicia's room was wide open, but she wasn't to be found inside. Daddy's voice floated down the hallway from his room.

"She must be in my room playing with my toys. She always messes everything up in there,"

"Shh," Terry shushed as we crept inside of the pink and purple 9-year-old's room.

Terry led the way inside, his mind already coming up with mischief. Finally, he spotted a diary on the bedside table. We looked at each other.

I placed my hand over my mouth to keep from giggling.

"Oooh. I wonder if Alicia's got a boyfriend," mused Terry as he picked the furry, pink diary up.

I grinned in excitement.

"Open it, open it!"

"Don't you know how to pick the lock?"

"Yeah, but I got in trouble last time. But don't worry, my parents won't punish you if you open it."

Terry looked skeptical for a moment, then smiled.

"Okay. Hang on," he grabbed a hairpin sitting conveniently on Alicia's desk. "I've watched TV shows where they do this all the time. And I've tried it back at my house, too." He bragged.

"Yeah right,"

I watched Terry put the hairpin into the keyhole and twist it around a little.

"You're doin' it wrong," I shook my head. "Here, let me--"

"No, I've got it!"

I left him alone, watching over his shoulder.

"Just a little more-"

"Hey! Take your hands off my diary, munchkin!"

"Uh oh," I muttered under my breath.

Alicia hurried over from the doorway and grabbed the book from Terry's grasp.

"I'm not a munch-munch…" he stumbled over the word.

"Ha ha!" she laughed loudly. "You can't even pronounce it!"

"Yeah, well, you look like a frog!" I shot in return.

"A big green hairy one!" added Terry.

Alicia's eyes narrowed angrily.

"Get out of my room before I call Daddy!"

"You can't push us around!" I yelled.

"Oh yeah?" She stood tall over me. "And why not?"

"'Cause Terry'll beat you up!" was my smug reply.

Terry choked from my left.

"I will?"

I nodded, looking at him questioningly.

"Well of course you will. You're not scared of her, are you?"

Terry kicked at the ground.

"Well...I dunno', Max, I-I mean, n-no. But my mom told me not to hit girls."

I laughed out loud.

"She's not a girl, Terry, she's a big dufus."

This, however, was it for Alicia, and she started toward me. But I was already tearing off out the door, Terry on my heels.

"Hurry before she eats you with her fangs, Terry!"

"How does it look, Doctor?"

"She's lost a lot of blood, but she should be up and around by Monday or so. We'll keep her overnight tonight and tomorrow just to be sure."

"She's a fighter alright. It's a shame they didn't catch the attacker, though. Kids sure are getting crazier these days."

There was the sound of metal against metal, footsteps and a door closing.

I shifted and winced a little. My torso was aching, and my nose felt dry. My ears picked up the steady 'beep' of a heart monitor.

Slowly, I lifted my eyelids. At first everything was blurry, but then slowly tightened into focus. My eyes roamed the room. There were, in fact, IVs in my arms and oxygen tubes below my nose. I sighed and closed my eyes again, feeling exhausted from simply waking up.

Just like on the soap operas.

My mind wandered for a moment, and I couldn't have been sure if I fell asleep. Everything felt like a lethargic dream.

"Well, you can't have Terry or anyone else as long as I run the game,"

When I was conscious again,I gently put my hand under the blanket and to my left side. There was a bandage there.

I winced again.

"Dana stabbed me," I thought to myself, recalling the incident.

Something was definitely wrong with that sentence. Dana was my best friend. Why would she stab me? I mean, I could understand her reasons, but Dana wouldn't ever physically hurt me or try to kill me.

I shifted again, grimacing the whole time from the pain. I didn't want to think about the attack anymore. The memory was much too hurtful, in more ways than one.

Just then, the door slowly opened. Slightly to my surprise, in walked my sister, followed by a nurse.

Alicia moved cautiously, her eyes darting nervously about the room while hastily sidestepping out of the nurse's way. I couldn't help but laugh inside at her. She never liked hospitals.

Alicia was different from me in that she was highly outgoing. I, on the other hand, was what I liked to call "appropriately sociable." She was a fashion know-it-all with her own original style. That day, for instance, she wore knee-high, leather boots, a turtle-neck sweater, and a black beret over her long, wavy hair which I lovingly hated her for (once again, see Max's hair-loss story). I remember when she was still at Hamilton High, constantly setting trends, snagging guys and somehow making good grades at the same time. Alicia had been Homecoming Queen, Valedictorian, and she had easily been the most popular girl in school.

"I brought Alicia Gibson with me, Ms. Gibson. Any relation?" chuckled the nurse as she adjusted the bed to sit me up a bit more.

I smiled a little, not willing to find out how much it would kill my stomach to laugh.

Alicia smiled awkwardly, standing a good five feet away.

"How are we feeling, Maxie?" she questioned in a gentle, corny voice, keeping her distance.

I rolled my eyes.

"I've got a stab wound, not rabies, you cornball."

Alicia finally gave a genuine smile as she carefully hugged me, glad to hear that I was still my old self.

Nancy, the nurse, readied a syringe to draw blood as Alicia took a seat in a chair beside the bed. I watched my sister's eyes grow wide upon sight of the needle.

"Be strong, Max," she whispered.

Nancy chuckled, and I rolled my eyes once more.

"I'm the one who can stand needles, remember?"

Alicia nodded, slowly swallowing. If there was anything she hated more than hospitals, it was needles.

The blood was drawn, and when Nancy left, Alicia breathed a melodramatic sigh of relief.

"That was terrible," she exhaled as though her own blood had been drawn, placing her hand to her heart.

"This is why you won't do med school," I joked.

Alicia shook her head with a laugh.

"Exactly. But girl, that yearly physician's income was nearly enough to change my mind."

I smiled.

A pause hovered in the air, and Alicia drummed her fingers on her purse.

"Well, you sure did give me quite the scare there, Max. How do you feel?"

I sighed.

"Well, I'm alive, right?"

Alicia nodded.

"So I guess Mom's been notified," I assumed.

Alicia shook her head this time.

"I tried her phone while in the ambulance with you on the way here, but she didn't pick up. You know she hasn't set up her voicemailbox yet, so she still doesn't know."

"Don't worry about it. They said I'll be fine. I don't want her to get upset and have to miss work to visit me."

Alicia raised an eyebrow.

"But we've gotta' tell her sometime, Max," she reasoned. "And how did you get told your prognosis before I did?"

"I was eavesdropping on the doc's convo with the nurse when they finished up."

Alicia's brown eyes widened.

"You mean they didn't use any kind of anesthetic?! Girl, you'd better watch these hospitals. Sounds like something from that one episode of Tyra about people waking up in surgery. Did you catch that one?"

"Alicia," I rolled my eyes. "It wasn't during surgery--I didn't have surgery. I was just waking up from being unconscious."

Alicia crossed one leg over the other, still unconvinced.

"Still, you gotta' watch 'em. This is why I avoid being in vacant alleys," she stated with emphasis. "What were you doing outside in the pouring rain anyway when you were s'posed to be at work?"

I sighed, debating whether or not to tell her exactly what happened; I still didn't quite know how to process it myself. It was embarrassing, being stabbed in a catfight over a guy.

"I should be asking you the same thing," I returned slyly. "Where did you come from?"

Here, she grinned broadly.

"Well, okay, I guess I'll tell you now," she cleared her throat. "I'm done with the program and I'll be back in Gotham from now on."

I smiled.

"Are you serious?"

Alicia nodded.

"Yeah. They said I did really well."

"Big surprise--what don't you ace?" I joked after we shared a hug.

Alicia laughed, the joy from being done with rehab showing on her face.

I was truly happy for her and glad that things had worked out after all.

"But I hear a certain senior's trying to make valedictorian," Alicia tapped her chin in pretend thought, glancing sideways at me.

I shrugged with a small smile.

"Yeah, and she's trying to figure out how in the world you did it."

Alicia shrugged.

"Just a lot of note-taking and hard work, I guess. You'll have no problem with it. Either way, you've got a lot to be proud of. Just don't forget to enjoy your senior year."

I was quiet for a moment, my mind drifting back to the attack.

"Hey, um, so, did you talk to the police or anything?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah. But I couldn't tell them much...just a vague description of them. It was raining sheets, y'know, and ol' girl was a fast runner," Alicia smirked. "I love ya', sis, but these heels wouldn't have gotten me within 40 miles of her in that weather and at that speed."

I laughed, immediately wincing afterwards.

"You'll have to catch me on that--I can't make you laugh, right?"
"Right." I nodded.

Alicia pulled her hat off, smoothing her hair.

"Um, Max, what exactly happened before the attack?"

I swallowed.

I guess I might as well tell her.

"Well, uh...see, I think I know who it was…or who it looked like..."

Alicia moved to the edge of her seat, ears open.

"Well who, Max?"

I chewed at my lip.

"Look, I know this sounds strange, but I...I think it was a friend."
Alicia frowned.

"What? Who would do that?"

"I dunno', I-I'm not really sure. I mean...it looked like her, but I still can't believe that it was...that it was...Dana."

Alicia nearly choked on her gum.

"Are you slammin' me?!"

I slowly shook my head.

"No, I'm not," I took a deep breath. "I'm still not sure as to what happened."

"Max, why would Dana, I mean...it's just not like her to..." Alicia's voice faded, at a loss for words for the first time in her life.

I scratched my head.

This is ridiculous. Maybe I was just hallucinating or something. Maybe I was drugged. I do have enemies now, and maybe this had something to do with it.

"Max," Alicia spoke gently. "I think you might have just been seeing things. I mean, it was raining hard, and...well--"

"I know, Alicia. I know it doesn't make any sense," I paused as a thought came to mind. "And that's why I don't think it was really her."

She furrowed her brow.

"So you think you were just seeing things?"

I shook my head.

"No. I think it was someone posing as her."

But who would do that?

"But why? Why would it be someone else?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure she wouldn't do this. I know her a lot better than that. Whoever it was must have studied her well, because I didn't notice a thing different about her. Her voice was the same, she looked the same..." I furrowed my brow, trying to remember every word she had spoken. "She never calls me 'Maxine,' though," I voiced softly.

"She called you by your full name?" prodded Alicia.

I nodded.

"Yeah, I just remembered."

"Well, people can act out of character, though."

"I know, but still... There was something off with her that I couldn't put my finger on."

"Besides the fact that she made an attempt on your life."

I smirked.

"Yeah," I sighed. "It just definitely wasn't Dana, but someone else...someone else trying to scare me or something..."

Alicia looked concerned for a moment, then leaned forward.

"Max, they were trying to kill you, or at least hurt you pretty good," she wrung her hands slightly. "I really think Mom needs to know about this."

I quickly shook my head with a frown.

And let her in on my whole death threat dilemma and the fact that I know Batman? I don't think so.

"Alicia," I readied my case, "don't you realize how much more trouble that'll add to this?"

"How so?"

"W-well," I swallowed, my mind racing for an excuse. "Umm, one way or another you'll probably end up having to tell her all about what's been going on with you," I shrugged. "I mean, suppose we find out whoever was posing as Dana and Mom comes back to town for the trial or something. She's gonna' find out that you were away for months since you won't be in school and will find out why..."

And she'll find out what's been going on with me, too.

Alicia looked sideways at me, thinking it over, then took a deep breath.

"Ok, fine," she voiced half-heartedly. "We won't tell her--not right away, that is," Alicia frowned, rubbing her arms and clearly uncomfortable with keeping the situation under-wraps. "But Max, I feel like there's something you're not telling me about all of this..."

Uh oh.

"No...of course not," I shook my head. "I've just had the usual high school drama--nothing to worry about." I lied, hoping she wouldn't question further. "So how was your flight? Are you all unpacked yet?"

"Yeah," Alicia went along reluctantly, noticing my intentional change of subject. "I went by the apartment first before I came to Terra to surprise you, but you'll never guess what I found when I got there: a messy apartment," she spoke sarcastically. "Max, be honest, were you throwing parties while I was gone? I mean, if you did, it's okay..." she paused with a frown, "just as long as you didn't do anything crazy, 'cause if you did, I'll have to answer to mom and we both know that won't be--"
"Wait, what did you just say?" I interrupted, my mind stuck on her first sentence.

Alicia rolled her eyes, thinking her assumptions were confirmed.

"Maax, you didn't do something dumb, did you?"

"No, seriously Alicia, what did you say about the apartment?"

She shrugged.

"It was in shambles--didn't you know, or are you playing the oldest trick in the book?"

I dragged my fingers through my hair.

Someone ransacked it while I was at work!

I nervously plucked at my lower lip, trying to sort things out in my mind.

Apparently, they were sophisticated enough to lock up after themselves without a key since Alicia didn't mention the door being unlocked. The only other person with a key to the apartment was Terry (I had given it to him when Alicia left, just in case he needed it, as well as to use when locking up behind himself after his midnight raids in the kitchen).

What could they have been looking for?

"What's wrong?" asked Alicia in a worried tone, noticing my apprehension.

"Um...nothing," I swallowed, then gave a nervous laugh. "You got me. I, uh, didn't have enough time to clean up after everybody."

Alicia slowly grinned.

"Well now you've gotta' tell me all about it! Who'd you invite? None of those icky sophomore guys after you, I hope! Did you invite Tanner Mitchell, or did he finally get kicked out?"

"Alicia, I thought you knew!" I pretended to be surprised. "What happens at a party, stays at a party."

Alicia quickly frowned in disapproval; keeping juicy information away from her wasn't to be accomplished that easily.

"Oh no you did not just pull that on me, Maxine Rebecca Gibson. Now tell me what happened or I'll call Mom right here and now so you can tell her."

"Yeah right," I laughed. "You're still too scared to use your cell in a hospital 'cause you think it'll blow the place up. Remember when you used to start crying and throwing a fit if mom didn't turn her phone off at your checkups?"

"That was a long time ago, Max," Alicia explained with a wave of her hand. "But since we're talking about throwing fits, remember how we used to fight over that Mikayla doll or whatever her name was, and how Dad used to have to get you to be nice and let me play with her?"

"No, no, no, get it right. He used to have to make you be nice and let me play with here ," I chuckled. "You know, I just had a dream about that before you came."

Alicia laughed.

"You and your dreams, Max. Remember how you used to wake the whole house up with those nightmares you'd have after watching kiddy movies and how we would…"

For one hour, I was able to forget about my drama and reminisce on the "good old days" with my sister whom I hadn't seen in months. In that hour, there were no lifelong friends professing love, there was no best friend betrayal, no bills to pay or death threats.

It was just me and Alicia.

A little on the lighter side, but I think we could have all used an exhale after the previous drama. But don't get too comfy!