It is often said that the oldest child looks most like their father. Thankfully, the rule didn't apply to her. What little resemblance she shared with her father was hard to spot. Melissa stared at her reflection in the department store window. A street kid clad in leather with dirt under her nails stared back.

"What do you think she's staring at?"

"She'll never afford anything in the window"

Melissa rolled her eyes at the comments of the girls passing behind her, walking down the street, stopping to hop in every puddle, hoping to splash the elite who dared get close. Melissa had a good life. At least, she considered it a good life even if it was in a crime-ridden city that had more nuts than a Payday bar.

There was just one thing. One small thing. A wish so secret no one would ever know

Betcha she's young

Betcha she's smart

Bet she collects things

Like ashtrays, and art!

Betcha she's good

Why shouldn't she be?

Her one mistake

Was giving up me!

She wanted to find her mother.

Find what happened to her.

Shaking her head, Melissa continued on her way home, ducking down every alley and backstreet. What-if's and maybe's floating through her mind. Would life had been much kinder? Would it be boring?

So maybe now it's time

And maybe when I wake

she'll be there calling me "Baby"

Maybe

Up the fire escape and into the window, where she landed on her mattress with a soft thump. There was a reason she slept there, being as close to the never-ending city bustle helped calm her. There had been a frame once but it was a cumbersome thing so she discarded it, only surviving on the bare minimum.

Betcha she reads

Betcha she sews

Maybe she's made me a closet of clothes!

Maybe she's strict

As straight as a line

Don't really care

As long as she's mine!

Her sisters were nowhere to be seen, still locked up behind the gates of Arkham, she was left alone with her musings. What was her mother like? Was she even alive? Why'd she abandon her?

So maybe now this prayer's

The last one of it's kind...

Won't you please come get your "Baby"

Won't you please come get your "Baby"

Maybe

Wrapping her blanket around herself, Melissa let the noises wrap around her, as warm and welcome as her quilt before drifting off to sleep.

A single forbidden tear slid down her cheek.

…...

Melissa woke, gasping for breath, shaking from head to toe, fumbling for the pocket knife under her pillow she held tightly to it while trying to will the air back into her lungs. She could still smell the cigarette smoke, hear the clinking of the beer bottles. The phantom pain that shot down her back was enough to make her cry.

Common sense said he wasn't here.

Common sense be darned, Melissa spent the next few hours on edge before finally climbing out the window, clambering up the fire escape to watch the sunrise. Another routine day. Sitting in the remains of a scrapped rooftop garden. Gravel crunching under her palms, icy wind whipping at her still knotted hair, blowing it into her face.

It's a wonder I don't hack all this off, Melissa grabbed at her hair frustratingly, Ivy says I'd look like a boy, Melissa carefully got to her feet and swung back onto the fire escape.

She recalled what Harley always responded with:

"No way Lissa would be mistaken for a boy! Just look at her face! LOOK AT IT!"

Lightning split the sky just as she shut the window. Rainy days in Gotham were a dime a dozen. It wouldn't keep her from her school work. Flopping onto the couch only to cough at the dust that flew up, she reached for the stack of weathered textbooks with falling apart spines and missing pages. English, History, Math.

Later.

The books went right back into the corner. Eyeing the sorry-looking kitchen caused her stomach to grumble, she'd had nothing except for the sandwich she'd swiped from the shop uptown. It was too wet to go steal food, too early in the day for the diner to be open.

"one-day things will be better, for all of us"

standing, Melissa tried to tidy the musty, dusty apartment, folding her clothes back into the box, making her bed, sweeping the linoleum kitchen floor. No matter what was done, however, the space always had a rundown feel to it. When she glanced toward the window, she found the rain had let up, the sun was making a rare appearance through the clouds. Putting the broom back in its corner she laced up her boots, grabbed her jacket, and scampered down the fire escape.

If I'm going to find my mother I'd better start looking.

…...

Hours later defeated, confused and hungry Melissa dragged herself back into the apartment. Curling up on her mattress she fell into a fitful sleep. Another day just the same, another day too routine to be any fun.

Just after midnight, she was woken by someone walking around the apartment.

Blinking sleepily, she listened one hand on her little pocket knife in case it was needed.

Batman?!

tense, she waited. There was no hiding. Not with her mattress directly under the window, directly across the front door. Then the light flipped on/

"Kitten, would you like to go for a little trip?"

"Selina"

"I'm sorry for scaring you"

"I wasn't scared"

"Would you like to go to New York?"

Melissa nodded.

"Harley and Ivy think it's a wonderful idea, I know you've wanted to travel but what if we settle there for a bit?"

Melissa tiredly gave a thumbs up while shoving her few belongings into a bag. Clambering into the car a few minutes later, Melissa began nodding off to sleep once more.

…...

Selina Kyle was no idiot. She knew who Melissa's mother was it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Having heard whispers that mother and daughter were close to reuniting Selina acted quickly securing a place in the heart of upscale New York City, picked out a school, and raced to pick up Melissa. Now, blazing down the highway Selina kept a wary eye on her surroundings and the sleeping silent teen in the backseat.

Carmen doesn't want her, Selina had convinced herself, Carmen only wants a perfect heir.

Being the only driver on a desolate stretch of highway only made Selina anxious. It would be okay, they'd make it to New York without incident. They had to.

…...

Some hours later the sun was just rising when Melissa woke up.

"Good morning, almost there Kitten"

"Food?"

"There's nowhere to stop, sorry Kitten I didn't ask if you'd had dinner last night"

Melissa shrugged entirely too used to going without food.

"How about I make you some pancakes when we get home?"

"Okay"

Melissa turned to watch the buildings zip by her window. It didn't escape her notice that they were taking many side streets. That was nothing to worry about maybe there was a traffic jam somewhere on the main route. In another hour they were pulling past a gated driveway to a fancy brick house with black trimmed windows.

"Your room is upstairs, first door, go ahead and I'll get started on the pancakes"

…...

Selina was just flipping the last of the pancakes onto the plate when there was a rapid knocking at the front door. Turning the griddle off she washed her hands before pulling off her apron and heading cautiously to the front door to find Melissa sitting on the second to last step with a curious look on her face.

"Expecting someone?"

"No," Selina glanced out the window, stifling a shocked gasp, "Your breakfast is on the counter, Kitten"

Curiosity squashed, Melissa dashed for the kitchen.

With a calming breath and a steeled expression Selina pulled open the door, "Carmen"

"Selina, I believe you have someone I've been looking for," Carmen declared, "Aren't you going to invite me in? Wouldn't want the entire police department on your doorstep"

"You don't want her Carmen," said Selina, stepping aside to begrudgingly let her greatest rival inside, "You just want a perfect heir"

"No one said I was expecting perfection Selina she's human and my daughter so I'll love her just the same"

"You don't know her, Carmen, not like I do"

"And that justifies your frenzied kidnapping plot?"

"I won't let her be consumed by your lifestyle"

"That's why you intentionally left her in the slums all these years?" Carmen replied with an edge to her voice, "Or was it because you knew she was mine?"

…...

eavesdropping was a nasty habit she'd learned. Sitting behind the kitchen island, shoveling pancakes into her mouth she could hear every word of the barbed conversation.

They're talking about me. Why are they talking about me?

A knot twisted itself into her stomach.

What was happening?

…...

"If you think you can just waltz in here and take her away you're delusional, Carmen. Harley and Ivy won't just hand her over"

"I expected this argument which is why-" Carmen opened the door behind her, "-I brought them with me"

Harley bounced into the house with Ivy on her heels.

"Where's Melissa?" Ivy asked.

"the kitchen-" Selina barely managed before Harley took off, returning moments later with her arm slung across Melissa's shoulders.

"Did you let her finish eating, Harley?" Selina asked tiredly, noting the syrup that dribbled down Melissa's chin landing in sticky spots on her already dirty shirt.

"I may have gotten excited," Harley chuckled in response, pulling a never-ending chain of handkerchiefs from the bag of tricks slung over her shoulder before handing them to a very confused Melissa.

"What's going on?" she asked after cleaning off her mouth.

"I think we should sit down," Ivy declared rather than answer the question.

"Yes," agreed Selina who now looked positively worn down.

"What's happening?" Melissa tried again, desperate for answers.

"Melissa, let's sit down first"

It was always bad when Harley said Melissa instead of Lissa.

Scared but angry Melissa tried again wishing she could scream instead, "Tell me now"

"Okay," Ivy soothed, "Okay, we'll tell you now"

"That's your mom Lissa," Harley motioned to the lady in red who stood silent the entire time, "She wants to take you home"

"Prove it," Melissa demanded looking from Harley to Ivy.

Let's sit down now, Lissa, so we can talk"

Melissa relented sinking onto the overstuffed couch beside Selina who had a protective hand on her arm. With a quick confused glance at Selina, the teen turned her attention to the woman who now occupied one of the chairs across from the couch.

"I'm very happy to finally meet you, Avalon," the woman spoke watching her just as intently.

Selina's nails were beginning to dig into her arm, Melissa twisted from her grip.

"We know it's confusing Melissa," Ivy said in that same calming voice, the one used to stop an outburst.

"Do you know who she is, Lissa?" Harley asked.

"I don't live under a rock, she's Carmen Sandiego, I'm more interested in why Selina wants her to combust," Melissa half-smiled.

"I didn't say that Kitten"

"No, but you're acting like you have Superman's heat vision"

"I vote we save that story for another day," Harley glanced at Selina who seemed ready to unravel.

Unravel she did when Carmen started detailing how she'd tracked the teen down.

"Would you just shut up already, Carmen I am not letting you drag her to that island of yours!"

"I don't believe you have a say in this Selina"

"Oh, I have EVERY say in this!" Selina shot in return, "Did they tell you HOW they found her? Half-starved on death's door with her ribs sticking out, bleeding! Were you too busy running your empire to care until now"

The scene was quickly going into chaos, Selina usually the calmest of her caretakers was shouting, shaking.

"-and in case you haven't noticed she CAN'T SPEAK! SHE'S MUTE CARMEN BECAUSE OF THE ABUSE YOU LET HER GO THROUGH!"

The yelling woman faltered realizing she'd mentioned the one thing no one ever spoke of. Melissa broke in two. The constant anger beneath her skin erupting unable to scream unable to make a noise of any kind she let her fist do the talking as it collided with Selina's side. Melissa's blow sent her falling onto the floor where she watched through glassy eyes as Harley restrained Melissa's flailing limbs.

"I'm sorry, Kitten"

…...

Carmen watched her daughter who sat stone-faced on the couch signing her many, many, many questions rapid-fire.

"I know about your birthmark, I know what it looks like, where it is," she smiled, "There's a star on your heel"

Melissa stared open-mouthed.

"There's also this," Carmen handed her the papers confirming the DNA match.

"We know it's sudden, Lissa but you should go with Carmen"

"My home is with you"

"We know it is but Gotham is growing more and more dangerous," Ivy reasoned, "I want you to be able to sleep without a knife under your pillow"

"Please for us?"

"Only for you"

...

Selina watched bitterly as the room she had lovingly decorated was stripped apart. Everything boxed up. The shelf of Roald Dahl novels, marvel comics, and various art books. The posters rolled, the bedding folded until the only indication that this had ever been Melissa's room was the red walls.

Melissa sat stubbornly on the downstairs couch, refusing to even look her way when she came downstairs trailing after the guys in blue.

The realization that Carmen had known of this house, had known about Melissa's room and the furniture within made Selina's blood boil. There was an inconspicuous moving truck outside which was loaded with any and all of Melissa's belongings.

"Kitten, I'm sorry," Selina tried again, sitting beside Melissa who turned away.

"I wouldn't," Ivy warned when Selina reached for Melissa, "Unless you want a repeat of earlier"

Melissa stood up, walking away.

I messed up Selina thought, I've really, really messed up.

It was another half hour before the room was completely packed away.

"It's time to go," Carmen declared suddenly appearing at the bottom of the stairs.

Harley bounced over to where Melissa stood, squeezing her tightly.

"We'll see you soon, Lissa, really soon," Harley promised.

I know, Harley, I love you.

"Love you more Lissa"

"Here, Melissa," Ivy handed her a box, "Open it when you get to the island, okay?"

Melissa threw her arms around Ivy.

"I love you too, kiddo, I love you too"

Then Melissa bounced through the front doors without a glance toward Selina.


I have been toying with this idea for the past year, messing around with it when I was stuck on other projects. I kind of lost my way with it so as it stands now I have no plans to continue it but am still posting what I did write so I can feel somewhat accomplished.