When he heard the crash, Wyatt dropped the wrench he had been using on his toe. With a muttered cruse and a few hops of pain, Wyatt jerked the wrench back up and glared at it. He had returned from work not ten minutes ago, his shift ending when he had chunked a large order of fries at his boss. Well, damn it, he had made Wyatt mad. No one called him a worthless piece of junk and got away with it. So what if he was fired from McDonald's? He could do better than that.

But, with his mother being a single parent and working two shifts at the hospital just to support him and help Mallory with Christian, he needed to help her. He had never done anything right and getting a job was the only way he thought he could pay her back for being a lousy son…and a lousy parent. Shaking his head at the thought, Wyatt glanced in the direction the crash had come from.

What the hell had that sound been? Wyatt jumped when he heard the squeal of tires. He watched a dented red truck dart from the woods and make a U-turn, heading back toward the bridge.

Mary, Wyatt's single mother, burst from the kitchen, her voice a high, nervous pitch as she spoke to him in her foreign language, Italian.

"Wyatt, Mallory was supposed to be here and she's the only one who uses this road. What if that was her who crashed? I can't think about that sweet little girl being hurt! What if Christian was with her?" Her large gray eyes filled with unshed tears as she continued to babble.

Wyatt never thought of that. Mallory was the only who used to road. Wyatt really had no friends, and he never told the women he slept with where he lived and the rest of his family lived in New Hampshire. Speaking in Italian, Wyatt answered, "It's okay, Mama. Mallory is a good driver. But would you like me to go check?"

"Please, baby. If that was them and they are hurt…" Mary could not finish. She watched her son as he hoped on his motorcycle and speed off, her throat clogged with fear.


Before the car hit water, Mallory and Starfire were struggling with their seatbelts. Mallory let out a loud string of curses as the ice cold water hit her leg, which was broken and torn from the metal. When the truck had hit the passenger side, the door had embedded itself into her skin. The pain was unbearable, but the thought of her son kept her going.

"Please, get Christian, "Mallory said as Starfire tried to help. She was already unfastened, using her brute strength to snap the belt. Mallory had witnessed it, but was too wrapped up in trying to keep from blacking out.

The water was up to their necks now, and Mallory had yet to undo her seatbelt. Starfire held her son, cradling him in her arms, his blood coating her sweater.

Mallory froze. "Oh my God." Her breath caught at the sight of her son's bloody face.

"I'll be back for you, Mallory." Already on the verge of blacking out, Mallory clutched her thigh, giving up on trying to get out. It was no use. She was dizzy with blood loss and pain, her movements sluggish. The entire vehicle was emerged in the water. Mallory knew the large breath she had taken would not last long and that she was fading fast. As her vision blurred and darkness colored her vision and mind, she had to strangest dream that her friend Rose peeled back the door like a banana skin. She really was going off the deep end.


Wyatt skidded to a halt, almost falling down face first when he tried to get off his Harley without stopping first.

Squinting against the darkness, Wyatt walked to the edge of the bridge. Bubbles popped to the surface of the water, and Wyatt took a step closer…yelping when a red head popped from the surface. Stumbling back on his butt, Wyatt tried to control his heartbeat.

"Jesus Christ—" The swear died when he saw the woman holding his son. For a moment he couldn't breath, couldn't think, couldn't feel.

"Please," the young, pretty woman said, gasping for breath. "Take him. There's still someone down there."

In a daze, Wyatt grabbed hold of the child, flinching at the boy's bloody face. The woman took a deep breath before sinking under, and Wyatt cuddled the kid closer. Plopping down in the snow, Wyatt cradled the little boy like an infant, searching for the cause of blood. He found it almost instantly.

A piece of glass had embedded itself deeply in to the boy's right eyebrow. Cringing, Wyatt tore of a piece of his white shirt and pressed it to the boy's eyebrow. Christian awoke suddenly, screaming in pain and sobbing, crying out for his mother. Wyatt now realized the person still beneath the cold water was Mallory. His heart froze in his chest.

Wailing now, Christian clutched Wyatt's shirt, burying his head in the man's shoulder. Wyatt instinctively laid his cheek on top of the boy's head, waiting for the girl to resurface again.

Beneath the water, Starfire was desperately trying to get the girl free, but her leg was entangled with the car. Finally, after doing her best not to damage the leg anymore than it had already been, Starfire worked the girl free and popped up to the surface.

With his free hand, Wyatt pulled the girls to the surface, both sputtering water. The pain had drug Mallory from the dark, which was almost a good thing. At least now she could see to her son and make sure he was okay.

Starfire lay on her back, her breathing labored, staring at the dark sky. A thought settled in her mind. Someone had just tried to kill them. They had actually tried to run them from the road. But why? Why would anyone want them dead? Was it Mallory they wanted? Starfire? Or just some sick psycho who found pleasure in running people off roads?

"Mallory," Starfire asked, laying her forearm across her forehead. Her temple was pounding from the hit it took and her side throbbed. Star ran a hand over her torso, cringing when she felt the hot liquid of blood. Leaning up, she lifted her shirt and groaned. With the tips of her two fingers, Starfire pulled out a large piece of glass from between her ribs, the only sign of pain a mere grunt.

"Yeah?" Mallory's voice was weak, heavy with pain. Wyatt gathered her in his arms, smoothing away wet strand of hair from her pale forehead. She was way too pale for his liking, and a large pool of blood started beneath her leg. Christian whimpered, crawling to his mother and resting his small head on her stomach. With all the strength she could muster, Mallory stroked her son's hair. The pain was not so bad anymore. Now, all she could fell was a chilling cold and numbness.

"I have a feeling that someone tried to kill us." Wyatt's eyes snapped to Star's. He said nothing, but his eyes were hot with fear and confusion. Starfire scooted closer to be near her wounded friend.

Mallory's eyes drifted close and she turned her head, inhaling Wyatt's sent. It was just as she remembered. He was still wearing the Old Spice she had hooked him on.

"Mommy?" Christian asked, rubbing his fist against his good eye.

"Hmm?" She was drifting away slowly, her body floating on air, yet the horrible throbbing kept her between the light and darkness.

"I scared." Her son nestled against her, his hands clutching her shirt. Something was wrong with his mommy. Seriously wrong.

She couldn't form words anymore, but she still stroked his hair. When even that was a struggle, Wyatt pulled her closer to him, so now, her head rested against his shoulder and Christian was in her arms. Christian played with her necklace, trying desperately to keep from sobbing. His mommy said he was a big man, so he would act like one no matter what.

Her blood soaked through Wyatt's jeans as time passed slowly. He had already fished out his cell phone and called the police, and now, all he could do was wait. Mallory's friend, Rose, was sitting beside Wyatt, and holding Mallory's pale hand in hers. It was almost too much for him to bear.

"Mallory," Wyatt whispered against her ear, brushing his fingertips across her blue-tinted lips. Her answer was a soft, almost silent moan. She shook in his arms, from cold and blood loss. "I love you." Suddenly, Mallory went limp in his arms.


He couldn't stand it. The ambulance had arrived just as Mallory had passed out, and now, he couldn't get near her. They had carted her off and practically shoved him away when he tried to stay with her. So, instead, he was with Christian. The little boy was so mature for his age. He gave Wyatt a weary glace the entire time as the paramedics fished to glass from his forehead. He had already screamed and kicked, but the people had given him a shot that numbed it.

"Hey there, kiddo." Wyatt climbed into the ambulance, shooting a death glare at the woman who tired to usher him away. "He's my son." The woman left him alone, giving him a small, reassuring smile. Hell, he needed reassuring at the moment. After saying that Christian was his son, a warmth had spread through him . Not cool.

"Mommy says dat she be my only parent." His words were than of a five year old, childish, yet completely understandable. Amazing for a boy his age.

"She's never told you about me--your dad?"

Christian watched the man, studying him. He was really tall and muscled. Christian bet he could throw him in the air really high and catch him. Mommy did it sometimes, but she couldn't throw him high enough. "She always cries."

Wyatt's eyebrows drew together. "When you ask about your father?"

"Uh-huh. She says dat she don't want me to get hurted." Wyatt nodded slowly. She's smart. If I were part of your life, I would end up hurting you, kid.

"Where's mommy?" Wyatt explained that she was in a different ambulance. Wyatt fell into an uncomfortable silence. Well, what did he expect? This was the first time in his entire life that he had been around the kid. He hadn't even been there when he was born.

A whole new guilt spread through him. It seemed like he was doing more harm than good. By thinking that they would be better off without him, he had pushed them away. Wyatt had hurt Mallory horribly , but he figured that was for the best. But Christian… He had never attended his son' s birthday party, or went to the hospital when he was sick. He had not been there when he said his first word or crawled for the first time. He hadn't watched him struggle to walk, hadn't been there when he had colic and had to be rocked and cuddled to get back to sleep. But that had been Wyatt's choice.

No matter how much it hurt, he couldn't be with them. He never could. Christian sneezed, jerking him from his harsh reality. The paramedics explained to Wyatt that the little boy needed stitches. Wyatt nodded, fingering the cross around his neck.

"Excuse me, but, uh, do you know anything about the girls?"

The paramedic turned to him with her head cocked. "Sorry, kid. I don't know anything. I only dealt with your kid, not the others. All I know is one was in really bad shape, but the other one is walking around fine. The redhead is with the other patient."

Wyatt lifted his chin in understanding. Christian was still watching him silently. With a large sigh Wyatt rubbed his temple, closing his eyes against an oncoming headache. "What do you want, kid?"

The little boy blinked, trying to narrow his eyes like his mommy did when she knew he was lying. It was supposed to be a scary look. "Are you my daddy?"

Wyatt's eye snapped open before he groaned. He could say yes or no. What should he do? If he said no, the kid would take that as a final answer and could go on with his life. But in the future, he would ask Mallory and she would be forced to tell him. But if he said yes, he would cause problems. Hell, either way he was screwed. The kid had gone through enough tonight, so he opted for the truth. "Yeah, kiddo. I am."

The little boy tried to glare, but his face scrunched up like a prune, and Wyatt chuckled. "So you da man dat hurt mommy." Wyatt's amusement fled. "Yeah, I guess."

Sleepy from the medicine the mean doctors had given him, Christian rubbed a fist across his good eye. "Why didn't you want us?"

Wyatt felt as though someone had rammed an elbow into his midsection. "Uh…"

Christian yawned, laying back against the pillows the paramedics had laid out behind him. Instantly, the little boy fell asleep. As the ambulance roared away from the scene of the wreck, Wyatt leaned back and stared at the blur of trees.


Popping quarters into the snack machine in the emergency wing, Ethan whistled as he tried to decide what he wanted. Chips or chocolate? Such a big decision. He shrugged, deciding on both. He would just work it off when he went back to school. Shoving his snacks into his pullover, Ethan sauntered out of the waiting room… and jumped back as a stretcher wheeled past him, almost running over his toe. Doctors spouted off medical terms that Ethan understood none of, carting the patient to the surgical unit. Ethan got a good glace at the body lying on the stretcher, a huge stain of red coloring the white sheet.

"Jesus." Shaking his head, Ethan poked a head out to make sure nothing else speeded by him. Finding the coast clear, he slowly stepped out.

Someone stepped on his toe and he bit back a curse. "Shit on a stick." Hopping on one foot, Ethan glared at the person who had hurt his foot. He found himself staring at Starfire.

"Whoa, it looks like you got into a fight and lost."

Starfire studied him with fatigue. She was tired, cold, and in pain. She had no desire to converse with Ethan. Her side was throbbing painfully and she was dying to take a simmering bath when she returned home. "Man, Starfire, what happened?"

She gave him a weak glare at the use of her real name. "Mallory and I were almost killed, along with her son. Someone tried to run us off of the road."

"Are you serious? Your not hurt, are you?"

Starfire shook her head. "I am fine, just tired. I do worry about Mallory, though."

"What the hell happened?" Robin burst into the room, his eyes narrowed and his heart pounding. He had just received a visit from Twain stating that Starfire had been in a serious wreck. Twain had said that one of the police officers on the scene had called him, saying that the undercover agent had been in a wreck.

Twain followed behind Robin calmly. He waited patiently as Robin demanded to know what happened. His heart was still pounding in fear as he grabbed Starfire by the shoulders and pulled her to him. He hugged her hard, burying his face in her neck, the front of his shirt soaked through from her wet body. "You scared the hell out of me, Starfire. I had thought…" He trailed off as hot liquid dripped onto his hands from where his hand rested on her waist.

Pulling back, he studied the blood that covered his hand. His eyes snapped up to hers. "Starfire—"

"It is a mere cut, Robin. There is nothing—" She flushed a deep scarlet when he lifted her shirt to inspect the wound. "Robin!"

"Starfire, you need stitches." She shoved his hands away and jerked her shirt down, her face still bright with embarrassment. "I will get them later."

Robin grabbed a nurse walking by and told him what needed to be done. The young man ushered Starfire to a room after he inspected the wound, Twain and Robin following. Ethan just stood there, blinking, then shrugged, heading for the elevator while he munched on a Snicker bar.

When back into Hannah's room, Ethan plopped down on his bed, tucking his feet under him. What a weird day.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hannah sat up in her bed, her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at Ethan.

With a yelp, Ethan fell off the bed.


Alrighty then. Finally, I finished this one. I had to rewrite it, because the first one made Star seem too weak for my taste. Anyway, I'll do some Beast Boy and Rave in the next one, along with others. Anyways, until next time!

Jessemudflap