Thalia stared down the thief in front of her. Unmoving, not speaking. What could she say to the woman that had left her to her father all those years ago? The woman who'd never tried to reach out not even once? What was there to say?

"I have nothing to say to you," Thalia spat once she regained her voice.

"I can tell you're lying," Carmen responded evenly, "You have questions and I'm here to answer them, Avalon,"

"My name's Thalia,"

"But it isn't really. Melissa,"

"How did you know?"

"There is a reason I'm the world's greatest thief," Carmen smiled, tossing the journals she had 'borrowed' to Thalia.

"You were the one in my room!"

"Yes,"

Thalia growled, anger rising to the surface, "Stay away from me-"

"Avalon-"

"I want NOTHING to do with you!"

Thalia left Carmen behind, exiting the gardens as quickly as she arrived.

…...


Returning home, Melissa shut herself inside her room. Moving all of her things around in hopes of hiding them from Carmen should she choose to return. This was in vain of course but, Melissa's mind was spinning. What she had said was the truth of course. She wanted nothing to do with her birth mother. The woman had no right, none to just drop into her life.

Melissa crumpled to the floor, the stress, anger and, sadness the night had brought hit her full force. There she stayed curled into a tight ball. So consumed by her thoughts that she failed to hear the door open.

"It's okay, Mel. The monsters won't get you,"

Melissa smiled weakly as Anya wrapped her tiny arms around her, mistaking her tears for fear. Melissa sighed returning the gesture after a few moments.

"I know, Anya, I know,"

…...


Their first meeting hadn't gone as Carmen hoped it would but she wasn't about to give up. She was very persistent after all. She just had to think.

…...


She disrupted patrol the other night. Melissa furiously wrote after a long, long day of training. She set me up! She stole my journals, read them and set me up! I'm pretty angry if you can't tell. I've already put a hole through the paper! I'm just so ANGRY right now.

Nothing on this planet gives her the right!

She left me with an abusive drunk!

Never tried to reach out!

I want nothing to do with her or her life and if she thinks she can suddenly show up after all these years and expect me to let her in she is sorely mistaken. I'm not letting her anywhere near me, my friends, my teammates or my family. To me, she's nothing more than a dead woman.

And I hate her.

…...


"Higher, Mel!"

"This is as high as it goes, Anya," Melissa grinned.

Jenny had bought a swing set for Anya on a whim and it paid off.

Spending time outside was one of her favorite things to do with Melissa who was slowly settling into her role as a big sister. It was much easier than facing what they had discovered.

"Melissa, phone!" Jenny yelled through the screen door.

Jogging inside, Melissa grabbed her phone from the table and answered it as she returned outside.

"Hey, Bird Boy,"

"You okay, Firecracker?"

"Yeah,"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I promise,"

Dick wasn't convinced but dropped the subject for the time being.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Playing with Anya,"

"You're a good sister,"

"I don't believe you,"

"You should,"

"I don't"

"You are,"

"Sure,"

…...


Her room was dark, her phone said it was three in the morning but Melissa couldn't sleep. Her mind was still running amuck. It was driving her nuts. You're a good sister, you're a natural at this, Melissa. She was growing tired of the praise. She didn't deserve it. Something told her she was just using Anya as a distraction and she hated it. She didn't want to use her as a distraction but by throwing herself into taking care of Anya she could take her mind off her birth mother and how angry she made her.

With a frustrated growl she slid out of bed, throwing on some old clothes and her boots, she grabbed her car keys and crept through the house. She needed a break from it all.

She left without a second glance, peeling out of the driveway she set her sights on Gotham.

The constant sounds of police sirens was music to her ears, the dark foggy city landscape was heaven. She was home. Sitting on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city she put pencil to paper and let herself get lost in the art.

…...


Jenny woke with a start. Something was very, very wrong. She knew it. Listening to the sounds around her, she could hear Timothy's even breaths over the baby monitor, Anya was sleeping soundly still. The house was quiet all seemed right but Jenny knew otherwise. Creeping through the house she checked on her children starting with Timothy and ending with Melissa.

She froze.

Melissa's bed was empty.

Her boots her gone. As were her art supplies.

Rushing outside she discovered Melissa's car was missing.

She'd run off.

Heart racing, Jenny ran back inside.

Melissa had run off!

She'd run away.

SHE HAD RUN AWAY!

WHY?

And where did she go?


I think I've hit a wall with this story. I'm running in circles. I can't seem to move the plot forward hence the too-short chapter. I'm going to pull my hair out or bang my head against a wall.

Review while I get some ice.