A/N: This past month has been pretty rough, so I hope this is up to my usual standard. I have something pretty huge coming on the 6th, so if you could spare some prayers or just good thoughts, I'd really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: If you recognize the character, they belong to someone else.

Black Mirror

Gritting his teeth, Will took a deep breath, let it fill his lungs, and counted to eight before quietly releasing. He knew, above all, that he needed to maintain his composure. Losing his temper was the first step in admitting defeat.

"Let's talk this through, okay?" He kept his voice level, almost soothing. "We can—"

"No!" Hands clenched into fists at her side, Lian stomped her foot and glared, almost as fierce as her mother. "No! I am not tired, and I am not going to bed!" She thrust her chin up defiantly and straightened her back. "And you can't make me!"

She ducked past him and into the hall, and he allowed himself a disgruntled groan as he resolutely followed her.

Beware the Terrible Twos. That had been the advice he'd been given multiple times by multiple people as Lian approached her second birthday, and he'd been more than a bit smug when his daughter was as sweet and endearing as she'd always been. Now, she was five going on thirteen, full of stubbornness and willful defiance, and Will constantly found himself at the end of his rope. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, there was always some kind of fight. Bedtime was the current battleground, following on the heels of bath time.

The worst of it, if Will was being entirely honest with himself, was that Lian never seemed to have these rages with Jade. Even though he was beyond happy that she had returned to their lives last year, he couldn't help but feel, in his weakest moments, resentful that she was unscathed by the outbursts after all he had done for their daughter.

Jade, for her part, did act as the mediator, a role-reversal that had them laughing at the start of Lian's tantrums but became far less funny the longer her streak became. Day after day, with little reprieve, Will attempted to parent Lian, only for Jade to have to sweep in to finally bring the peace. Though neither would admit it, it was starting to put a strain on their relationship, and Will wanted nothing more than one night of reprieve, one night of peace and calm with his daughter bearing some semblance to the adorable, well-behaved, loving child she had been.

"No sleep! No sleep! No sleep!" Lian was jumping up and down on the kitchen table, crashing two spoons together.

Tonight was not going to be that night.

"Lian, you are being completely unreasonable." As much as he wanted to yell, he swallowed it down, though he knew he was edging closer. No doubt Jade was waiting at their bedroom door, ready to intervene, but he was not ready to accept that, once again, he could not handle his child. "You are not behaving like you know you should. Get down right now, go to your room, and get into bed."

She stopped jumping but tightened her grip on the spoons and looked him right in his eyes. "Make. Me."

His jaw muscle twitched, and he was sure the vein in his forehead was bulging, a trait for which Dick and Artemis mercilessly teased him. "I am going to count to three. One."

Unfazed, Lian smashed the spoons together.

"Two."

Still not a yell, but getting closer, and he heard the creak of a door, could imagine Jade stepping into the hall, and that made him even angrier than the rapid metallic clanging.

"Three."

"No sleep, no sleep, no sle—"

Grabbing her around the middle (not hard, no, never, not Lian, not his daughter), he pulled her off the table and dropped her on the floor (not dropped, not like that, just let her go to land on her feet) and snapped, "Enough!"

(That was a yell, no doubt, but it was warranted, wasn't it?)

"You are going to go to your room this instant and get into bed and go to sleep! I am sick and tired of your behavior! You're acting like a brat, and I am done with it. So you better get used to your room because that is where you're going to be every single day when you get home from kindergarten! No television, no play dates, no—"

"Will."

Jade's whisper, laced with vitriol, cut through his rant, and he blinked into reality. Lian was staring up at him, tears dripping down her face, lower lip trembling, and she had pressed herself against the table leg, trying to shrink away from the finger he was jabbing in her direction. (When had he done that?)

His wife was quickly approaching, face stoic but eyes blazing. "C'mon, Lian, time for bed," she murmured, kneeling down to collect the girl in her arms. Sniffling, Lian buried her head in her mother's neck, her fingers digging into the fabric of her shirt.

"I…I didn't—" Will's mouth was suddenly, painfully dry, and he took an uncertain step toward Jade.

"Get out."

"Jade—"

"No. Not now." She hugged Lian tighter. "Get out and cool down. And come back with a better attitude, or don't bother coming back at all." Turning her back on him, she made her way to their daughter's room.

For a few moments, Will stood there, processing what had happened, conflicting emotions churning in his chest. Guilt, and shame, but anger too, a righteous anger, because how dare Jade speak to him that way after everything she had put them through?

A growl building in his throat, he grabbed one of the abandoned spoons and threw it at the wall. It ricocheted back to his feet with the harsh crack, leaving behind a spider web chip in the paint.

His breath hitched in his throat, and he covered his face with his hands, fighting back the urge to scream, Jade's words daggers in his mind. Taking a moment to collect himself, he straightened his back, grabbed his keys from the counter, and walked into the fading light of day. Despite the unfairness of it all—because it was unfair, all of it, and he couldn't be damned to care how petulant he sounded—acting like this was benefiting no one. Jade was right, as much as it hurt to admit.

For nearly fifteen minutes, he aimlessly wondered through one neighborhood to the next. It did little to soothe his inner turmoil, so he found his way to the nearest zeta beam tube, though he had no idea where he was going until he was typing in the location.

"Will?" Artemis leaned against the doorframe of her apartment, one eyebrow raised. "What's up?"

"Can a guy not want to visit his sister-in-law?"

"Normally not at eight o'clock at night in the middle of the week." Still, she stepped aside to let him in. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." He took a seat on the couch and braced for Brucely, who had scampered out of Artemis's bedroom and leapt next to him, nuzzling against his lap.

"Mhmm." She sat opposite him, and despite all their differences, the Nguyen-Crock girls certainly knew how to unlock the contents of a man's soul with nothing but a look. "Surely there is no connection between this visit and my tender niece's new hatred of bedtime?"

Face flushing, Will focused his attention on petting Brucely. "You've been spending too much time with the Bats."

"My deductive reasoning has always been top-notch, thank you very much." Growing serious, she asked, "What happened? Is everything okay?"

Slouching forward, he toed the carpet and explained to the nonsensical patterns, "I…I lost my cool tonight. Badly. And I know I was wrong, but...but I couldn't do it anymore. This fighting with Lian..." He gesticulated to nothing, fumbling with words and thoughts. "And then Jade, Jade talks to her and the whole world is right again, and it, it's getting to me. After everything, everything, this is how Lian is acting."

"She's pushing boundaries. That's what kids do."

It was said so nonchalantly that Will felt his temper flare, but as he prepared to spit out an argument, she continued softly, "And you should feel good that Lian trusts you enough and feels safe enough around you to act out. Some kids spend their childhood walking on eggshells and trying to live up to unobtainable expectations."

Oh.

Oh.

Only on rare occurrences did Jade mention her childhood, but even from those fleeting snapshots, he knew that she had struggled against her father's harsh, unforgiving demands and his temper that reared its head not in violence but merciless training and vile words.

"He didn't really hit me, not outside of training, anyway. A slap across the face every once in a while when I'd really pissed him off. But he didn't have to hit to hurt, and he knew that, and I hated that he knew that."

"It's okay to struggle." Artemis was now on his left, her hand on his. "You're not perfect, and you aren't going to be perfect, and that's that. You love Lian. Everything else will fall into place."

He shook his head. "I made her cry, Artemis. I screamed at her until she cried. I've never done that. I never even considered that I'd be capable to do it, and then it happened so easily."

"And you obviously feel guilty about it."

"Like that matters."

"Yes, it does." Abruptly, she stood, jerking Will slightly forward. "C'mon."

"What? Where?"

"You need to get your mind off of this. If not, you're only going to stew about it and feel worse, and that's not going to be any help to anyone. And clearly my words of wisdom aren't getting through that thick skull of yours, so let's go to the tried and true method of getting your mind off things."

She was wearing a grin that rivaled Jade's, and he eyed her suspiciously. "You cannot be suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

"Oh, really? And why is that?" With fake concern, she asked, "Is someone worried his dad bod is going to prevent him from keeping up?"

Glowering, he countered, "First of all, I do not have a dad bod. Second, you'd be the one having trouble keeping up. And third, and most importantly, I don't have my bow or my uniform with me."

"Oh, we can get around that. Give me a minute."

She disappeared into her room, and Will balked when she returned, hands full. "No way. Not a chance."

"My spare bow and arrows are in perfectly good condition."

He narrowed his eyes and gestured to the Scream mask resting on top of the weaponry. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why do you even have that?"

"Halloween. Duh. Now hurry up."

He studied the mask more closely. "Wait, is this the kind with the fake blood?"

"Um, is there any other kind?"

"This is ridiculous."

She shoved the bow and mask none too gently to his chest. "I'm going with or without you. So either you come along, or you can mope here." After a moment of thought, she added, "Or you could go home. I'm sure Jade is waiting for you. To have a completely calm, rational conversation, of course."

That's how he found himself on a rooftop, wearing an old Halloween mask that smelled like moth balls, gripping a bow that didn't quite feel right and shouldering a quiver that hung awkwardly across his back.

"Don't you feel better already?" Artemis, decked in her Tigress outfit, managed to say it with a straight face.

"I look like an escapee from Arkham."

"I said feel, not look." To rub salt in the wound, she gave the pump a quick squeeze, and he heard the fake blood pooling in the plastic. Because he didn't feel ridiculous enough. "Besides, you'll give all the small-time low-lives a great story to tell."

A cry suddenly resounded, and they looked over the edge to spot a group of three men surrounding a woman.

"Alright, Ghost Face, let's see if you can put your money when your mouth is and keep up."

He snorted and launched a zip-line arrow. "Easy."

And it was, though it was most likely do to the slack-jawed reaction the wannabe thugs had to his arrival. Their confusion was so pronounced that only one even attempted to defend himself, and the archers made quick work of them.

"So was I right, or was I right?" Artemis asked once the police arrived to handle the situation.

"Jury's still out. That was barely even a warm-up."

With practiced ease, Artemis scaled the half-rusted fire escape to return to their vantage point. "Night is young. Criminal underground is emerging from its slumber."

Nearly two hours later, she had been proven correct on both counts: they had been zigzagging across the city, breaking up robberies and turf wars and bar brawls, and Will's inner turmoil had quieted to a background hum. He knew that upon his return home, he'd have one long, intense discussion with Jade, but the idea didn't rattle him nearly as much as it had earlier, and the knowing that he would have to face Lian in the morning no longer brought on a wave of nausea.

"I'm going to regret this, but you were right," he told Artemis following their latest success.

"Well, obviously. I'm actually insulted that you didn't realize I would be. So honestly, I only think it's fair that you treat me to some food."

"Food? Now? It's after eleven o'clock."

"Oh, no, after eleven. I forgot you turned into a pumpkin in an hour." She smirked. "When'd you get so old, hmm?"

"You really are worst. I hope you know that."

"Not even in the slightly. You can tell me all about it over an oversized, grease-covered burger. And fries. And a milkshake."

"Ugh, fine. I guess I do owe you. Where is this place?"

"Only, like, five minutes from my apartment. We can stop there first to change."

Less than halfway to their destination, the frantic sounds of banging and indistinct yelling lingered in the distance, and they shared the briefest of looks before running in that direction.

"Open up!" A teenage boy was slamming both fists on the door of a rowhome. From inside, there was more screaming and dull thuds. "Hey, hey! Stop! Open up! Please! Please!"

Will got to him first, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"I…I…the lady here, she's hurting her daughter, I, I know it! I, I called the cops, but, but they, they aren't here yet, and she hasn't stopped!"

"Do you know her?"

"Yes! I mean, kinda. We're neighbors, and I've heard, I've heard stuff, but, but not like this!" His eyes were glistening, and he was practically panting. "Please, I, you gotta believe me, please, it's been going on, for, like, I don't even know, but the girl, Lila…she's so, so small, you know? Please, please, you gotta do something."

Artemis was already on top of the situation, launching an explosive arrow at the door, and she didn't wait for the smoke to clear. "Stay here, okay?" Will instructed the teen, turning on-heel to follow Artemis inside.

Blood. He smelled it before saw it, the thick, metallic odor burning his nose. It was strange, he had become acquainted to the scent more often than he cared to admit, but it had never churned his stomach so severely. When he found the actual source, he felt bile climb in his throat, and he had to balance himself against the wall.

The woman was in rage, inhuman shrieks emanating from her as she kicked at the prone body of a little girl, eyes already blackened. Her nose was obviously broken, and there was a gash stretching from her temple to her hairline.

As he struggled to gather his bearings (because the girl—Lila—she was small, so tiny and fragile and Lian's size), Artemis launched a foam arrow, encompassing the woman. "How dare you?" she hissed, notching another arrow, maybe for show, maybe not (because Lila had the same color hair as her niece, pulled back in the same way). "How dare you?"

Will was barely listening, instead dropping to his knees to cradle Lila in his arms, heart thrumming violently in his chest. Through the red, sticky film of coagulating blood, he saw Elsa on her pajama top.

Lian had the exact same pair.

He choked back a sob and hugged her close (but not too tight, not with all these bruises, and maybe even worse).

"She should have listened to me! But no, she had to be difficult. Like always! Sneaking out after I put her to bed for, for, for nothing! Just to annoy me, to challenge me. I am done with her acting like a brat! Don't you get it! Do you have any idea how, how thankless this is? How hard it is to handle a child who doesn't obey? I am the parent, goddam it! She needs to listen! She—"

"She is your child!" Will spat, his voice cracking, and he instinctively clutched Lila closer as though that would do any good. "You bitch. How could you do this to your own child? How could you beat her like this? What kind of parent are you?"

(Probably not too far removed from the kind who shouted at his daughter until she burst into tears.)

"Oh, so easy for you to judge, isn't it? You have no idea what I go through. Every day is a new fight, a new tantrum, a new boundary she wants to push. Well sometimes I have to push back! She has to learn! Just one night, one, that's all I ask for!" She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "And now look at this floor. It's going to take an hour to get this all cleaned."

A chill traversed up his spine and through his limbs, but he didn't get the chance to reply (or shatter her jaw, he wasn't sure) because the police had finally arrived, sirens shrieking in the stillness of night.

"Take her outside," Artemis told him, never taking her eyes of the mother, never lowering her arrow (and only now did he realize it was real, not a trick, and he wondered if she'd actually use it, and a sick part of him hoped she would). "Hand her off to the paramedics." For a fleeting second, she did look at him. "And get home."

To Lian.

Swallowing hard, Will got to his feet and made his way to the porch, where the teen was still waiting. "Oh, oh, God, no." His knees buckled, and Will caught him under the elbow.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. Lila will be alright." Maybe, maybe not, maybe she was too far gone, but he couldn't think about that, not now. He focused on the street, on the two police cars and ambulance screeching to a stop, rather than the half-truth he was weaving so easily. "She's going to get to the hospital, and they'll take care of her, fix her right up. Hey, I never got your name."

"G-Gabriel."

"Well, you did great tonight. You saved her life."

(Maybe.)

The police officers ascended the stairs, the paramedics not far behind. Will hastily explained the situation, and while half the officers rushed inside, the rest took Gabriel aside for a statement. The grim-faced paramedic outstretched his arms, and Will gently passed Lila over, wishing for any flash of improvement, any spark of life, but the shallow rise and fall of her chest was the only indication that she was still with them.

In a daze, he did as Artemis had bid, making his way to the nearest zeta-tube and then home, his steps heavy and vison blurry, a deep pain radiating in his core. When his house was in view, he was suddenly sprinting.

The door slammed closed behind him, but he couldn't even be bothered, hastily tossing the mask aside and letting the quiver fall to the floor and bee-lining to Lian's room.

"Will." Jade stood in the living room, arms crossed over her chest, but he didn't even stop. "Will."

He burst into the room and stumbled to his knees, gathering Lian in a full-body hug, comforter and blanket and bear and all, rocking back on his heels and tucking her head under his chin. "Oh, Lian, Lian, baby, I'm so sorry."

"Daddy?" Her voice was thick with sleep. "What? Is it morning?"

"No, no, baby, not yet. I just, I just had to tell you how sorry I was, okay? I shouldn't have yelled at you, not like that. I love you, I love you so, so much, okay? More than anything, ever, no matter what, okay?"

"I love you too, Daddy." She squirmed a little, giving her enough leeway to lean back. Her brow crinkled in confusion, and she reached up to gently touch his cheek. "Why are you crying?"

He sniffled and tried to smile. "It's, it's a long story. Just…just know I love you so, so much, okay? To the moon and back."

"Even though I'm bad?"

"You aren't bad," he protested fiercely. "You are the best, the absolute best I could ever ask for, no matter what." He stood on unsteady legs and turned, saw Jade watching him from the dimly lit hall. "C'mon, we're gonna watch your favorite movie, okay? And have ourselves some big bowls of ice cream."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"But, but what about school tomorrow?"

"You're not going. We're gonna do whatever you want tomorrow. The zoo, the aquarium, the park, anything at all. Okay?"

"Okay!"

He took her into the living room, plopped her onto the couch, and busied himself with dishing out two bowls, pretending that this was completely normal, that it wasn't quarter past midnight on a Thursday, that his hands weren't shaking and his eyes weren't watering and his thoughts weren't miles and miles away.

Lian, despite all the insanity of the situation, took well to the impromptu movie session, cuddling against his chest and devouring her dessert. Only by the end did she start to waver, and she was sound asleep as the credits rolled across the screen, but Will couldn't find it in himself to move.

"Artemis called."

Though Jade's declaration was little more than a whisper, Will jumped nonetheless. Sitting beside him, she rested her hand on his knee and gave a small squeeze. "You aren't that woman, Will."

He didn't reply, couldn't reply, so he just held Lian even tighter.

The silence hung thick and oppressive, finally broken by her continuing, "And you aren't my father, either. You're an imperfect human being who would set himself on fire to keep his daughter warm."

"I shouldn't have—"

"But you did. And now it's over and done with. And we have her whole future to figure this parent thing out." She gave another squeeze. "You are an amazing father. And you are absolutely the parent Lian deserves. You didn't run when you got scared. Not like me. I left you all those years to shoulder the burden. Why do you think Lian doesn't act up with me? Because I'm not safe. I've already proven that."

"Jade—"

"No, no, don't even try. It's true. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere, and we are going to get through this together. And it's going to be a nightmare at times, and probably a complete shitshow at others, but we will survive, and Lian is going to come out on the other side an amazing, fantastic human being." Gently, she tilted his head, rested her forehead against his. "She is not that girl from tonight. And she never will be."

"Lila."

"Hmm?"

"Her name was Lila. She was maybe Lian's age with practically matching hair and the same Frozen pajamas Artemis bought for her birthday, and maybe she even had the same color eyes but I'll never know because her mother had beaten her so badly they were swollen shut. And all…all because she didn't want t-to stay asleep."

"Oh, Will." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissed his cheek. "You are not her mother."

And he knew, he did, but that didn't stop the tears.

Being a parent is hard. It's a stressful, 24/7 job that doesn't have easy solutions or answers. It can be overwhelming, nerve-racking, and exhausting. It is okay to feel all of these things, to take a timeout when it becomes too much, to ask for help when needed. It is never an excuse for causing harm to a child, and no child should believe that any form of abuse is warranted.

ChildHelp is a non-profit that relies on donations to run prevention, intervention, and treatment programs. They also provide support to caregivers who are struggling and are in need of help. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption seeks to increase the number of adoptions from foster care, and Ticket to Dream provides hope and opportunity to kids in foster care. Donate if you can. If you can't, please write to your local government representatives to support legislation that helps victims of abuse.

If you think someone is being abused, intervene, and don't stop until he or she is safe. Do what you think is best. It's not easy, and it may not always feel like the best path, but no child deserves to live in an abusive home.

To all the victims, you are in my thoughts and prayers always. If you need help, reach out. Someone will believe you. I do. Never give up hope, and never believe that you deserve anything other than love.

No more concrete angels