It took us nearly the full two hours just to get to the place the party was at, and we were far from being the first ones there. The large room of the old barn was already full of people in black clothing and colorful hair. Angel darted out of nowhere and tackled us both in a hug.

"You made it!"

"I told you we would eventually." he smiled. "Where you hiding those drinks?"

"Don't act like you don't know. It's so good to see you here, Lissa. Make sure you keep this one in line." she winked before walking off to welcome some other friends.

Rin led me to a folding table that was piled high with disposable cups and alcohol bottles. One bottle lacked a label and was filled with a vibrant green liquid. He poured some of this into a cup and handed it to me. I took a whiff and it smelled heavily of artificial something.

"What is this?"

"Angel's drink. Trust me, just one glass and you'll be a giggle box all night."

"I'm good, but thanks."

I tried to hand it back to him but he blocked it with a hand. "Come on, just one glass is all. And I promise we'll properly hydrate or whatever."

"You promise I'll be able to remember everything?"

He leaned down and his lips brushed my ear and his arm brushed me. "Trust me, I want you to remember every. Single. Thing."

I blushed before finally taking a sip. As he turned to pour himself a drink I sent the rough location of the place I was at. We had an established system for things like this. No questions asked unless I sent him the distress word and only then did we tell Dad. But drinking mystery liquid was never a good idea and my conscious was saying someone should know where I was. Well, it was saying many things but that was the only one I listened to.

He then led me out to where some teenagers were dancing with no rhythm at all some to tasteless music in one of the corners. But he was right, I found just about everything funny, including our dancing. He was actually really good but somehow that was funny too. I knew I was awful and his laughter was probably well-founded. We danced to a few songs before we got some plain drinks, and Angel came around and gave us some tacos someone had brought from a take-out place.

It must have been one or two when Angels' drink finally started to wear off a little, impressive seeing as I only drank maybe half a cup, and instead of laughing maniacally at everything I was just having fun. Rin seemed to sense this and dragged me off to a dark corner and kissed me senseless, whispering in my ear the entire time. It wasn't until he tried sneaking his hands under my shirt I told him we should go somewhere more private. He led me out to the sea of cars outside the old barn, eventually finding his hedged in between a truck and a minivan.

"You're car?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"What? Too good for my baby?" he patted the hood.

"It's just, will there be enough room?"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll manage." he winked and held the door open for me.

It was awkward and hilarious and amazing. He banged his head on the ceiling and I laughed for a solid two minutes at him, before spending the next to calling out his name. The windows were fogged from the heat in the car and I was tempted to leave my handprint in a Titanic homage.

We sat cuddling for a little bit with the window rolled down to air out the car, just talking in low voices about nothing. We heard others in some of the other cars doing something very similar and I tried to suppress my blush. He pulled a blanket out from underneath the back seat and threw it over both of us. I wondered how many nights he slept in his car.

His dashboard clock blinked three-thirty when he turned on the car to roll up the windows and stash the keys before we both nodded off in each other's arms.

It seemed like five minutes later there was a sharp rap on the window of his car. My first panicky thought was 'cops' and I started counting the minutes left in my life until my Dad found out. But then I heard Rin's 'Damn, it's the fun police' and let out a sigh of relief.

And then started panicking again. My eyes snapped open and I saw Dick's face on the other side of the glass. And he was pissed.

"You have ten seconds before I call Dad."

"I'm not wearing any clothes! Turn around!" I pulled the blanket up around me.

His face was fuming but he did turn around. I yanked on my disheiveled school uniform and tripped out of the car barefoot. I knew I looked worse than death but nothing could beat the look on Roys face as I climbed out.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I didn't know what I was running into. I figured I might need...help." Dick loaded the last word.

"Well, I'm fine. So you both can leave."

"Fine? How about you tell me what the hell that is?" he pointed at Rin getting out of the car, looking equally as sloppy but somehow he made it look so much better.

"Oh, I'm Javrin. I thought we'd met." his malicious smile increased the tension.

Roy looked murderous but Dick as always just ignored it. "Lissa, get your stuff and get in the car. School is in an hour and a half. I'll yell at you on the way there."

I turned to get my bag from the car but Rin was leaning against the car in a very antagonistic fashion. "I'm perfectly capable of taking her to school. I go there too, you know."

"You have done quite enough." Dick almost spat. "You're lucky I don't call the police."

"For what? Getting lucky with your little sister? Hardly a crime."

"Rin." I warned.

Dick's face twitched in agitation. "Don't get started with me Napier. I already plan to make you regret the day you were born."

Rin pushed himself off the car and stepped up to Dick. "You don't scare me, pretty boy. Neither of you do, for that matter." he cast Roy a passing glance. "Now how about you let dear Lissa and me exchange a little pillowtalk and we'll see you at school?"

Dick shoved his chest. "Don't talk about my sister like that."

"Like how? Like we slept together?"

"Napier, I swear to God-"

"Oh no, I'm scared now." he scoffed.

"Lissa, get in the car. Now." Dick gave me a glare I was pretty sure could melt steel.

"She's got other plans. I want to see if we can squeeze in a quickie before we have to get to school."

He probably didn't even see the punch coming, because it didn't come from the guy spitting in his face. Roy basically launched his entire weight into Rin's face. But the first punch had hardly been thrown when out of every vehicle and even the barn melted a dozen guys in varying states of dress. They clearly weren't standing for one of their own being bested.

But Rin either didn't notice them or didn't care, because he quickly met Roy's action in kind. In less than a second they were embroiled in a rapid hand-to-hand combat fight. And by combat I mean real combat. Rin was clearly on level with Roy, possibly better. From the look on his face I knew Roy hadn't guessed that when he'd gone in, but he was too far gone now to turn back. Rin delivered a quick uppercut and knocked Roy to the ground. He stepped on his back, preventing him from getting up.

"You think you rich boys can just come around here and try to throw your weight around? Please." he leaned down and said something to Roy softly so that I couldn't hear it before taking his foot off of him, after grinding it in quickly just to further show him who was boss. Both Dick and Roy gave me murderous stares before climbing in Roy's car and driving off. I was mortified but the other guys went back to their business and Rin took my hand.

"Sorry, baby girl. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just going to pay for that later." I groaned and leaned into his backseat to pull out the rest of my things. "We do need to leave soon. I can't miss school."

"I know, I know. I really am sorry I said all that. Just trying to get under their skin, you know?"

"Oh I know why you did it. Doesn't mean I agree with it, but what's done is done." I sighed and pulled my shoes off his floorboard.

As he drove back into town I pulled my emergency bag out of my backpack and brushed my hair, used a water bottle to brush my teeth, and rolled down the window before liberally applying my perfume. A couple makeup touch ups and I was ready to go. He cast me an impressed look.

"You clean up nice."

"Yeah well, never know when you're gonna be out late, right?" I brushed it off with a giggle. "I had a lot of fun last night. I probably won't be able to do it again for a long time."

"Nah, of course you can. They can't tell you how to live."

"Yeah, but they can tell my Dad. And my Dad absolutely can."

"Only if you let him. You're your own girl."

"I'm eighteen."

"Exactly, an adult. I know you guys are all tight knit or whatever, but you're your own person. They only have as much control as you give them."

I rolled my eyes as we pulled up to the school. "You don't know my Dad."

I had barely taken two steps in the school when somebody yanked my arm and bodily dragged me off. I looked up and saw Dick's mutinous face.

"Hey!"

"One word and I tell Dad everything. Now tell your little boy toy to take a hike."

I waved off Rin as I was dragged into an empty stairwell. Dick whipped out his phone and pressed a button. I knew he was disabling the audio for the camera monitoring above our heads.

"Are you fucking stupid?"

"Excuse me?"

"A party? A slept with him? What is going on with you?"

"We were just having some fun. What does it matter to you?" I yanked my arm out of his grasp. "You can't tell me where to go and who to hang out with."

"Yeah, but Dad can. And I have half a mind to tell him. Do you have any idea how much danger you were in?"

"Please, I barely drank at all. And even then I could have defended myself if I needed to. Besides, Rin was there. And as you saw he can handle himself too." a touch of pride lit my voice and Dick glared at it.

"Yeah, about that. How many people do you know that can take on Roy?"

"I don't know, a...few?" I started using my brain. "Maybe a couple."

"You don't think it's even a little bit curious he can take on a professionally trained fighter? And he arrived here at just the time as a certain princely fellow?"

I took a moment to process what he was saying. "Excuse me?"

"Think about it. Expert fighter, joking manner, hangs out at the fairgrounds?"

"Like that anything but circumstant- have you been following us?!"

"Well someone has to. Because apparently you have no problem purposefully making sure Dad doesn't know where you're going to be."

"Goddamnit Felicity." I mumbled.

"Don't you see, Lissa? He's bad news. We need to monitor him closer to make sure he's-"

"Don't you even say it." I hissed. I leaned back and opened the stairwell door, reaching out blondly and grabbing a jacket sleeve. I dragged Roy in and shoved him towards my brother. "Both of you listen closely. Rin is not who you think he is. And honestly I'm disgusted that the second I find someone you don't mildly approve of you suddenly think he's the worst of the worst."

"Then prove it." Roy growled. "If you're so sure he's a knight in shining armor, prove he's not who we say."

"And how do I do that, Harper."

"Next time we get a call about the Joker and the Prince, you find Javrin. Get us some evidence it's not who we say."

"Fine. And when it's not him you each have to back the fuck off." I snapped. "And personally tell him he's a better person than you thought he was."

"And when you find out what a manipulative, criminal peice of shit he is you have to be the one to tell Bruce." Roy hissed in my face before storming out of the door as the bell rang.

I fumed back to class and threw myself into my seat next to Rin. Class had already started but he slid his hand under the table and squeezed my hand. I felt some of the tension in my shoulders give way. Then giggles slowly seeped out as he traced circles increasingly higher on my leg.

After school I was forced to go home. I made sure to show Bruce some pictures 'Alex had taken' and he complimented them. After that I spent the evening quietly catching up on homework. Dinner was pretty quiet as well, until Bruce's phone went off and he abruptly stood up.

"The Joker has been spotted downtown. .Dick, suit up."

"What about me?" I was already standing.

"Dick already told me you'd be tired. He said you fell asleep in two classes today?"

I made my voice quiver a little bit. "No, I'm fine. I can go."

"Lissa, it's okay. I'm glad you had fun at your friends. Green Arrow and Speedy are already on their way as well. You get some sleep."

I hung my head, feeling a really twinge of guilt as they disappeared into the library. But i walked up to my bedroom and pulled out my phone, calling Rin.

"Hey, Princess. Everything okay?"

"I know this is a lot to ask, but could we go do something? Dick's been riding my ass all day and I kinda need a break."

I heard him smile. "I'm already on my way."

I changed into a skirt and shirt before ducking out of the front door since Bruce wasn't home. He pulled up to the road just a few minutes later. He didn't say a word, just drove us down to a park by the river. We got out and he held my hand as we walked the paths.

"Rough day?"

"You have no idea. Dick and Roy both keep riding my ass about everything. They say you're a bad influence."

"Well, they're not wrong there. I'm definitely a bad influence." he winked at me.

We came up on a bench under a streetlight and we sat down. The river rushing in the background and the night was comfortably chilly. He threw his arm over my shoulder and I sighed, enjoying the moment. I gently fingered my phone, trying to phrase it right.

"Do you mind if I take a picture of us together?"

"Why?"

"Well, I figured if we're official now, I'd like to have a picture of us."

"As long as I get to do this." he said huskily before tilting my face up and kissing me.

A few seconds later he finally let me pull my phone out and snap a picture. But as soon as I took it I got a message from Dick.

The Prince isn't here. Are you with Him?

I swore and Rin raised an eyebrow. I stashed my phone quickly before he could read it. "Dick noticed I'm gone. I'm probably in even more trouble now."

"Hey, you're already out. Better hang for a chicken than an egg."

I laughed. "What?"

"It means if you're already in trouble, can't be much worse can it? Let's enjoy the night a little more."

He pulled me closer and I rested his head on my shoulder, enjoying the blissful moment. About ten minutes later the street light flickered and died, plunging us into darkness.

"What happened?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Probably nothing. And hey, look, we can see the stars now."

He pointed up and I followed his finger. But as I looked into the sky, I saw something much more sinister than Ursa Major. The lamp post gave a metallic lurch and ripped out of the ground, flying towards a dark figure floating in the sky. I didn't even need the moonlight's glow to illuminate the jester suit and clown makeup to know who it was.

The Prince.

"So nice of you to make this easy for me." he chuckled.

"Who, who are you?" I didn't have to pretend much to shoot some fear into my voice. With Rin here, I was just about helpless against his metal.

"Let's leave the games to me, shall we?"

"She asked who you were." Rin shouted.

The Prince landed on the grass in front of us and slowly advanced. "Sorry, we don't need a player three."

He waved his hand and a metal bar of the bench flew off and wrapped Rin around a tree. He then turned to me with his full attention. "Having a nice night?"

"What do you want?"

"I think you know." he held up his hand and one of the heavy bolts of the bench rose up, circling his fingers. "Checkmate."

He flicked his hand outward and it shot straight through my chest. Pain blossomed and I felt my heart stuttering. I fell to the ground in a blur of darkness. I heard Rin cry out and The Prince walk away from me. The last thing I remembered was the feeling of the cool grass against my face.

My thoughts were hazy and sporadic. I remember someone crying and pain flaring through my whole body. My name was called a lot and I wanted desperately to answer whoever it was, but my eyes were glued shut and my mouth refused to open. A beeping started that was driving me mad but I was helpless to stop it.

When movement returned to me, so did my breathe. I took a deep gulp of air that only tripled the pain I felt. I jerked straight up and felt strong hands gently holding me down. Someone was talking in a soothing voice in my ear as the beeping sound got worse.