Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love of Young Justice, although I do take ownership over the new characters i.e. some of the teammates

A/N: How are Garfield and Carrie going to get out of this one?

Chapter 13

Carrie and Garfield were dragged into the police station by Gordon- eager to prove their innocence by screaming and shouting until they were thrown into neighbouring holding cells. They sat with their backs against the same bit of wall, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Don't worry Carrie. I'm the star in this whole operation."

"But this is bad for you Gar..." Carrie whimpered, burying her hands in her head. "This is so stupid!"

She got up to her feet and slammed into the prison cell doors, shaking the bars like she was strong enough to break free. Something clicked in her mind and she stopped.

"Can't you just morph into a creature or something? Go get one of the guys and sort this whole thing out? Because once they realise what I did for the city, they'll have to clear our names, right?"

"I can't morph into animals in here, Carrie." Garfield's voice was blunt and cold, making him appear as though he was withdrawing. "Just chill, alright? I'll get us out of here."

"Why are you going to do that? The idea is that we're innocent in this. Running away will only make us look guilty, and when thus is a crime I didn't commit, I have to draw the line." Carrie backed away from the bars when she heard footsteps approaching. "Garfield! What are you doing? Get back in your cell."

He ignored her, taking a lockpick to Carrie's cell door and juggling the metal about. "There- Madame, your carriage awaits." Garfield bowed down to Carrie as he held the door open for her.

"This is a bad idea, Garfield. We need to stay put until Nightwing gets here."

He clicked his fingers. "Oh yeah- I forgot to mention. Nightwing made me promise if we were ever caught or captured that I would take you to Metallica's lighthouse lair, because it's the last place that anyone would ever look for you. So that's where we're going to go."

Carrie shook her head quickly. "You go, but I can't. I won't."

Garfield reached in and took hold of her wrist. "Carrie, we have to go!"

She pulled away, but he was stronger and dragged her out of the cell. From her struggling, Garfield lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder like a fireman carrying a survivor out of the flames.

"Put me down!" Carrie screamed, kicking sharply at Garfield's side.

The green skinned guy walked straight through the double doors into the main precinct of the police department. Some of the police officers noticed them and immediately pulled out their guns.

"Wait- no!" Carrie screeched, holding her hands up in front of her as she hung upside down. "Put me down, Garfield!"

Garfield lowered Carrie to the floor and she backed away from him, running into a to puny police officer.

"He's not Garfield Logan!" Carrie exclaimed. "This is not Garfield Logan!"

Garfield spun around, watching all the police officers to see what they might do. "She's talking rubbish."

Carrie flinched, gasping loudly. "I mean it. He's not Garfield Logan! I just know that he isn't."

Commissioner Gordon exited his office to see what the commotion was about. "Someone take Miss Boxham and Mr Logan to the high security cells."

"Mr Gordon!" Carrie exclaimed, trying to love towards him but being held tightly by the police officer behind her. "You have to listen to me, because that is not Garfield Logan. I mean it."

"Really?" Gordon sounded unconvinced.

"Ask him to change!" Carrie pointed at Garfield. "That's an imposter, a shapeshifter." She wrenched her arms free and moved quickly towards Garfield. "You aren't Garfield, are you? You're the one who committed the crime to get you and me in the same room, only to try get me to escape and run away with you. But you didn't do Garfield justice. I saw through you. You're not the Garfield I know. But what I don't understand, is who you really are..."

Garfield started to laugh, cackling loudly and startling Carrie. "Oh you are too precious! You could not leave well enough alone, could you? No! You had to play the hero..."

Garfield pulled out a smoke bomb, throwing it down on the ground and cracking the shell to release the smog.

-o-

Nightwing was stood behind Batgirl at the computer when an alert came in on the screen.

"Starfire?" Nightwing said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. "You're not due to give another report

Starfire's face took over the screen. "Nightwing, I've picked up a radio report that Beast Boy smoked the police station and kidnapped Carrie Boxham. This news seemed of vital importance."

"Yes Starfire, thank you for the update, that's amazing." A smile snuck across Nightwing's face.

Batgirl stood up abruptly, walking away from Nightwing.

"Barbara- Batgirl?" Nightwing called out to her, making her pause for a moment. "Where are you going?"

"I need a moment- a bit of fresh air." Barbara squeezed her hands in front of her, refusing to turn around from the tears beginning to form. She didn't want Nightwing to see her falter. "I have to go."

"Can we talk properly?" Nightwing watched her go out the sliding doors and turned back to Starfire. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Star..." he added awkwardly.

Starfire shook her head. "I know it can't be easy for her. Things will change though. It will get easier with time."

"Well, I guess you're right." Nightwing slumped down in the chair, shrinking the video link with Starfire to investigate the maps and tracking system. "What do we know?"

"Gordon is on his way to the hall... he thinks this is all your doing. That you orchestrated the whole thing."

"Well I guess I better organise myself for a chat with Mr Cheerful himself."

"Do not worry about it, Nightwing. I am sure that you will know exactly what to say." Starfire disconnected the feed.

Nightwing murmured to himself, saying, "Nice mess you got yourself into."

"Nightwing, Commissioner Gordon is here... he's real angry."

Over Nightwing's shoulder, Kitty stood, pointing over shoulder.

"Miss Martian is trying to pacifier him but like I said- real mad."

Nightwing followed Kitty to the entrance hall in silence. Deep down, he had hoped that Kitty had not heard or seen Batgirl leave.

"Police Commissioner Gordon-"

"Don't!" Gordon bellowed. "My precinct is covered in a smog thanks to your man. He broke out of the prison cell along with the girl and are currently wreaking havoc over everywhere."

Kitty leaned forwards. "That's a lie!" she spat, showing her feline instincts. "Beast Boy would never intentionally cause chaos in Gotham and Star City- never!" She tried to fight against Nightwing as he held her back with one arm. "Tell him he's a liar, Nightwing!"

The police commissioner frowned at the teenager and then at Nightwing, waiting to see what the super would do about reprimanding the youngster. "Go on then Nightwing, tell me I'm a liar," he said, taunting the man but delighting in the silence. "I thought not. You've got two hours to deliver your man back into my care. Not a minute later."

"Police Commissioner Gordon, that's not the case at hand. Garfield is acting of his own volition, if that." Nightwing tried to reason with the older man, trying to push the thoughts out of his mind of the hurt he had caused to his daughter unintentionally. "What you are saying sounds most unlike Garfield – almost impossible."

"That's beginning to sound like you're calling me a liar…"

Nightwing clenched his fists, putting one arm in front of Kitty protectively. "Police Commissioner Gordon," he said through gritted teeth. "I genuinely cannot allow you to badmouth my friends. Garfield is a good man, and a valuable asset. He would not do what you are saying voluntarily. Perhaps there was an imposter in your cells?"

"And what of the girl? You telling me she's not the real person either? That she's some kind of shape shifting maniac?"

Nightwing shook his head. "Kitty, give me your phone…"

Obediently, Kitty produced her phone from her belt. "What did you need it for?"

"Find me a video showing what Carrie did for Gotham and show it to the good police commissioner." Nightwing inhaled long and hard, watching as Kitty turned the phone around to show the other man. "He needs to see what Carrie did for us, because if that doesn't wipe the false accusations from her slate, then I guess we should all really be arrested."

Gordon's face dropped when he saw Carrie fiddling with Metallica's metal canister, opening it up and inhaling the noxious gas that could have killed her. On the screen, Carrie dropped to the ground slowly, only to be carried away by the green boy that was allegedly caught robbing a shop on the outskirts of town.

Nightwing asked Kitty to leave them to talk, wondering how next to deal with the charade. "You see, Carrie Boxham risked her life in order to stop that poisonous gas being emitted into the atmosphere. Think of the devastation that would have occurred had she not been there to eliminate the problem. I mean, what did the Police Commissioner of Gotham City do whilst my team were busy putting in the necessary precautions to protect the people?" Nightwing paused. "Exactly…"

"Nightwing – that's enough!" Batgirl snapped, approaching the more experienced super. "Gordon is right about Beast Boy, he did act out, but there's more to it than that. Carrie said something before she disappeared. Well? Didn't she?"

Gordon huffed in agreement. "The kid might have said that it wasn't the real Garfield… But what difference does it make? Those two are guilty and have to pay for their crimes."

"But I don't think they did. There's a shapeshifter that's escaped from Belle Reve – well, on the way to the penitentiary. You tried to cover that one up, didn't you Commissioner Gordon? Because you had a mole in your ranks and that's exactly how Garfield was switched with the shapeshifter. Tell me I'm wrong."

-o-

Superboy was accompanying Starfire to the transmitted location other car that Beast Boy had chosen to take Carrie in. The car was left abandoned on the path leading away from the suspension bridge out of Gotham City. He walked around the car and was about to open the passenger side door when he heard a thumping sound.

"Do you hear that?" Starfire said, pressing her ear to the boot of the car. "There is someone in the backside of the car…" She backed away and then clicked the opening catch. "Garfield!" Starfire quickly went to help him out the boot. "What happened?"

Garfield grunted. "Oh- these police officers. They were taking me away in the helicopter when one of them shapeshifted and knocked me out. It all took me by surprise, but I think they must have been watching me. They knew exactly where I was going, what car I was driving – everything."

"Well you're okay now, Garfield…" Starfire mumbled, helping him into the back seat of the car. "We can take you back to the base and then figure out what to do about Carrie."

"Carrie!" he exclaimed, squirming from the pain in his shoulder. "What happened to her?"

"The police commissioner told us that you released a smokescreen in the precinct and kidnapped Carrie, but that must have been the shapeshifter."

"So where is she now?"

"We… we don't know," Starfire replied with great uncertainty.

-o-

"Run Carrie!" a voice called out to Carrie.

She didn't need to be told twice. She burst out from the building that she was being held within and followed the masked archer who jumped agilely down from the top of the metal spiralling staircase.

"Wait up!" Carrie squealed, staggering down the stairs and running after the archer who vaulted up onto the wall beside the building and darted along the top of it. "Hey!"

"I thought I told you to run!" the archer called over her shoulder sternly. "That means move faster."

Fearful that she might be caught, Carrie stamped her feet harder as she sped alongside the wall. Her heart was pounding her chest as she noticed an abandoned van with the engine still running. Knowing that the van must be for a delivery, Carrie leapt inside, slamming on the gas as she moved into drive.

The van lurched as Carrie rocketed out of the complex and down the country street, barely even stopping to see if she should have picked up her archer saviour.

"It's okay Carrie, you've got this," Carrie whispered, steering the wheel back and forth with the bends of the road.

The way back to Gotham was draining- at times Carrie thought she should stop driving and pull over, but she couldn't bring herself to sleep when she knew that the heroes of the Justice Hall would be potentially concerned about her. It wasn't long before the van's petrol light began to flicker as she crossed the bridge that was lit up in the darkness by the harsh street lights.

Pulling up near the Justice Hall, Carrie stumbled out of the van and thumped into the doors. She braced herself against the door, noticing how dirty she was from the reflection of herself in the glass. The cut over her temple was crusted with dry blood.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

"Nightwing!" Carrie gasped when she saw the man standing next to the doors she was leaning on. "It's so good to see you, where is Beast Boy?"

"Carrie, he's gone..." Nightwing replied neutrally.

"Gone? What do you mean?"

Nightwing started to laugh, signalling to Carrie that it was all just a joke. "Ah, you should have seen your face. It was a picture. I'm messing Carrie, he just returned from a scout about, looking for you. It's been nearly a day and he did not give up."

"Really?" Carrie beamed at Nightwing, trying not to show too much emotion as she felt a warmth in her chest.

"Really, really... he's inside having a nap and then he said he was off to check out some sights in Metropolis." Nightwing opened the door for her. "You're welcome to get cleaned up- But come inside before Gordon comes hammering down on the door. He's not giving up on this fight for you and BB to be behind bars."

After possible the quickest shower and freshen up that Carrie had done, she grabbed a spare outfit of workout clothes that were always kept for just in case scenarios. The grey jumper and bottoms were loose, but it didn't matter to Carrie because all she wanted to do at that moment was see Beast Boy- and at least now, she would smell much better.

As Nightwing had suggested, Beast Boy was in the break room. He was slumped out on the sofa, passed out from exhaustion.

"Beast Boy," Carrie whispered, leaning on the back on the sofa, reaching out and gently prodding him. "Wake up..."

No response.

Instead, Carrie knelt in front of the sofa by Beast Boy's head, blowing gently at his face until he began to stir, brushing at his face.

"Beast boy, wake up!" Carrie laughed, moving a tuft of dark hair from his face. "I'm right here..."

"Carrie?" His bright eyes opened and he bounded off the seat when he saw her. "Oh my god, Carrie, you're okay!" Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, twirling around like a disgraceful ballerina.

"I'm okay, thanks to a masked archer called Tigress-"

"Artemis saved you..." Beast Boy replied, lowering her to the ground but keeping his hands fixed in place. "I've wanted to do this for a while now- especially uninterrupted." He smiled broadly, tilting his head in the opposite direction to her. "Metallica said something about you. He said you were broken and had no love in your heart. How now you are kind and don't care about anyone. But I know that isn't the case."

"Why's that?" Carrie murmured, curious to know where the other super was going with his statements.

"Because I am here to heal a broken heart, and I want you to come with me to protect the new supers..."

"I'd love nothing more."

Carrie jerked, pulling Beast Boy close to her, their lips pressed together as they inhaled long and hard, caught up in the moment.

Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = I know it was probably obvious the angle I was going for, but come on, I knew it was the start that this is where the story was headed – so what did you think?