"Hi, Melissa,"

"Hey, Allie," Melissa yawned, letting her friend inside on a sunny Saturday a few days later.

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine," Melissa shrugged dismissively, "I have a nice little distraction,"

"Little distraction?"

Seemingly, on cue, Anya peeked around the corner fearfully at the stranger. When she saw Allie looking her way. she ducked out of sight.

"Who's that?" Allie questioned.

"My new sister, Anya. I'm babysitting while Jenny picks up our baby brother,"

"When were you going to tell the rest of us?"

"Training,"

"Makes sense,"

"Mel?"

Melissa turned to Anya.

"Yeah?"

"Can I play with the puppies?"

"Yeah, come on,"

By Puppies Anya, of course, meant Melissa's dogs who were excited to have a new playmate.

Allie followed behind the two girls, watching them closely. Anya's clothes seemed too big for her rather skinny frame. There were scars all over her arms and legs. She clung tightly to Melissa not that she seemed to mind.

"Mel! Mel! watch me!"

"I'm watching, I promise!" Melissa laughed, settling into the lawn chair on the back porch with Allie sitting across from her.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine,"

Allie wasn't so sure. Melissa wasn't the type to just accept things so easily. It was a well-known fact she buried everything and ignored it. Even now, Allie could tell her friend was bluffing but it was best to let it slide. Let Dick handle it. He knew how to handle Melissa. Allie wouldn't dare given how explosive she could be at times, Instead, she asked her thoughts on being a sister.

"I'm still gettin' used to it," Melissa shrugged.

"Anya seems to like you,"

"I can relate to her. I've been in her shoes,"

Allie stayed quiet.

"She's not used to being touched, loved on,"

"She held onto you,"

"Only started yesterday. She has nightmares. her room's right next to mine so I usually sit with her. Yesterday, she climbed into my lap when I came to check on her,"

"I think you'll be a good sister,"

"That's what Jenny says,"


Meanwhile.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the hero Thalia Bloom and Melissa were one and the same. As with most heroes, secret identities only worked due to the general population's blissful ignorance. Carmen wasn't most people, however, she had easily figured it out. Melissa and Dick Grayson were almost always together, The society pages couldn't stop talking about them. On the flip side of things, Nightwing seemed to have gained a partner in Thalia Bloom.

Thalia Bloom. her name a sly representation of her secret upbringing. Her costume a more direct representation. Green and black with diamonds. Ivy's top, Harley's leggings. gloves one green one black to conceal her tattoos. Vines threaded through her ponytail. It was a wonder no one else had figured it out.

Now, to set up a meeting.

And she knew just how to do it.


"I WANNA SEE BUBBA!"

Anya's scream cut through the otherwise quiet day like a knife startling Melissa who was trying to finish the work her counselor had assigned her at their previous session. She tore out of her room, finding Anya kicking and screaming in the living room while Jenny tried to reason with her.

That isn't going to work.

Melissa dropped to the floor, sliding over to where Anya lay.

When the little girl saw her she seemed to set her sights on hurting her much like Melissa used to do with Shaggy. Slapping, Kicking, biting Anya's intent to hurt became clear but Melissa wasn't backing down. She grabbed her wrists, careful not to hurt her and sat there. Letting her cry herself out before she tried to reason with her.

"Anya, Timmy has to sleep," Melissa sternly declared.

"I wanna see him,"

"Why?"

"They took him away,"

"Who?"

"Scary men in blue,"

"Police officers," Melissa nodded," Babies, have to sleep so they can grow but if you be a good girl and stay quiet you can see him when he wakes up,"

"Promise, Mel?"

"I promise,"


That night, Thalia joined the rest of the Bat-family on patrol. There seemed to be a Poison Ivy copycat lurking. stealing rare plants and plant-related things. The security camera's never caught the thief. The odd thing, however, was that flowers were left behind. Batman had checked, double-checked and, triple checked to make sure it wasn't actually Ivy, making sure the flowers weren't one of her evil experiments.

"They're daisies, Violets, Zinnias, common flowers." Thalia had announced, "I'll check the botanical gardens,"

Which is where she was now, opening the skylight and sliding down into the building silently.

All seemed quiet, too quiet.

Quiet and Gotham didn't mix.

The gardens looked amazing even in the moonlight but Thalia didn't have time to stop and smell the roses. She had work to do, clues to find, a thief to catch. She knew she wasn't alone it was just a matter of finding who was hiding. Once she found them. Her job was done and she could return home to Anya who had cried upon her departure earlier that night.

"Well hello, Avalon", came a feminine lilt behind her. Thalia whirled to find a figure in a red trench-coat and large red fedora covering her long, black hair. But the eyes, and that signature smirk...she saw those in the mirror every morning!

Carmen Sandiego stood before her.

Her birth mother stood before her.

Then it dawned on her.

She'd been set up.

"What do you want?" Thalia demanded, crossing her arms, eyes narrowing behind her mask.

"I want to meet my daughter," Carmen replied simply, "Let's talk, we have a lot of catching up to do,"


Bum! Bum! Bum! The end of the chapter has come!

Review, please and, thank you,"