Hey guys! I'm so happy, I actually passed my algebra quiz (70% baby!). Anyway, ON WITH THE FIC!
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Celeste dodged another punch. She attempted to side kick her opponent, only to have him jump out of the way. Dick threw a few more punched at her. "So, are you going to tell me what's up with you?" he asked, ducking out of the way of another kick in the process. It was about for in the morning and the two were the only ones up (besides Alfred) so they decided to train a little.
Celeste grunted in annoyance; those were almost the exact same words Raven had said to her. "Nothing," she answered curtly, flipping out of the way of her brother's next attack. "I appreciate all of your concern for me, but I'm fine, okay?" She felt like that was all she had been saying for the last two months.
Dick didn't buy one word of it. "Yeah right," he said disbelievingly. "And I'm a fluffy pink unicorn with yellow stars. Now spill."
Celeste evaded his oncoming attacks and began to go on the offensive. "Look, leading a team is stressful," she half-lied. "You of all people should know that." She saw her opening and went for it, kicking her brother to the ground. Celeste liked training, it was a huge stress reliever for her. "Besides, I'm supposed to be stressed; I'm the daughter of Batman."
Dick looked at the girl and chuckled, rubbing the now sore spot where she had kicked him. "You certainly are," he commented with a grin.
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"So, how much longer are you staying?" asked Tim. He and Celeste were alone in the library. This event would happen frequently as both of them loved reading with a passion.
Celeste shrugged, not even bothering to move her eyes from her current read: The Unfamiliar Familiar. "I think I'm heading over to my mom's tonight or tomorrow morning," she answered. Two years ago, she would have referred to that place as "my house." But so much has changed since then, she hasn't stepped foot in that house since her father had brought her to Gotham. She peered at her brother from over the top of her book and gave him a hard stare. "You did remember to delete that footage from the Batcave security cam, right?"
"Of course I did, sis," replied Tim. "What I don't understand is why you won't tell your mother, Bruce, or Dick what's going on."
Celeste sighed. "It's...complicated," she stated, marking her page and closing her book completely. The sixteen year old looked Tim in the eye. "So much has happened in these last two years. I just appeared in my father's life, and he into mine. Mom just woke up from a two year coma. Not to mention Ares is after me and her. And let's not forget my still-developing meta abilities. Plus, Dick has a baby on the way. It just makes things like Sl- You-Know-Who seem so insignificant compared to everything else. I don't want to bother them." She cursed herself for that slip-up; knowing her father, there were at least five security cameras in the room.
Tim sat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Celeste, You-Know-Who is a big deal," he told her, going along with the codename. "You know Bruce will want to hear about what he's been doing to you."
Celeste smiled. "I know," she said, her voice laced with raw emotion.
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"Father, you don't have to drive me," said Celeste as she slid into the backseat of his Mercedes. "I can just take a bus or something."
"Absolutely not," Bruce's deep voice insisted. "It's a long ride from Gotham to your house and who knows what kind of lunatics are on those buses."
Celeste rolled her eyes, but smiled brightly nonetheless. "Thanks."
The majority of the ride was silent. Neither Celeste nor Bruce were ones for social conversation, something that the former seemed to have inherited from the latter. It remind them both of the first time they had properly met. Surprisingly, Bruce was the one to break the silence. "How's leading the Titans?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Celeste subtly tensed (why, she wasn't sure), but relaxed almost immediately. "It's good," she answered. "Damian, Rex, and Lora fight a lot, but we work well together. They actually listen to me." She grinned. "How ironic; aren't I the youngest on the entire team?"
Bruce chuckled. "I believe you are," he agreed. "Nice work keeping those three in line."
Celeste beamed; her father didn't tend to give out compliments loosely. "I try," she joked.
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Bruce pulled up in front of the familiar basic white house. "Do you want me to walk you to the door?" he asked.
Celeste stared at the structure, a wide range of emotions building up inside of her. "N-No," she stuttered. "I can go by myself. Thank you Father." She got out of the Mercedes, pulling her suitcase out with her. She walked up to the door and knocked.
Her mother was the one who answered the door. "Celeste!" she exclaimed, embracing her daughter.
Celeste hugged her back. "Hi Mom," she greeted. She waved goodbye to her father one last time before walking into the house. A smell hit her nose, a scent she hadn't inhaled in a long time, as she looked around her childhood home. "It feels good to be back."
Diana smiled. "I'd imagine so," she said. "You haven't been here in quite some time."
Celeste walked up the stairs towards her old room and opened the door. Nothing had changed. It was still the room of a thirteen year old girl obsessed with Harry Potter and the color purple. "It's like I never left," she commented. She plopped down on the full sized bed and sighed. "Home sweet home." He eyelids grew heavy as she allowed sleep to overtake her.
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How was it? Good? Bad?