Ok! Got a burst of inspiration and churned this out! It might be a bit all over the place, but I tried to write it so my ideas flow smoothly. Idk how well I succeeded, but anyway!

I want to reply to a review on chapter 1, cus I think I caused a little confusion.

Luna Moon 12 Official: Hi! You are welcome anytime! :)

Oh I see! I figured I just misread it! Yeah I love Bruce and Selina's chemistry in the movie and can't wait to see where it goes. I'm not sure about a love interest for Aria though, I'm sad to say. Maybe I can make up a cop that she falls for? Idk...

Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't explain the timeline for this fic well, so here it is: Aria and Bruce lose their parents when Bruce is 10 and Aria is just 6. After that, I started into the events of a prequel novel for this movie titled 'Before the Batman' which offers insight into this universe's Bruce and even some stuff on Riddler, too! It talks about how Bruce started down the path that would end with him becoming Batman. Anyway, that's why I talked about Bruce working on his car in that old station, cus that's what's happening in the book at the beginning. He's not becoming Batman for another ten years, give or take. You were right about Bruce's age though! Right now, he is 17 and Aria is 13!

Unfortunately, I have not read the comics. Growing up, I just didn't have access to them so I never started and now I'm overwhelmed with the amount of stuff out there so whoops! I have watched most of the DC Animated movies and a few of the Batman cartoons, like The Batman and Batman the Animated Series and I really like those! I also tried a show called Gotham, which has one of my favorite versions of Alfred I've ever seen on screen so I write this Alfred a bit like him lol.

Honestly, I try not to worry too much about comic accuracy. In my mind, as long as I am accurate to the universe I'm writing for (like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or now with the Batman) I don't worry about the comics too much. It's cool to see which comics inspired the movies and stuff and see what those comics are like, but really each iteration and version of Batman is unique and it's own universe. So as long as you follow that story in that specific universe accurately, don't stress about it! Have fun with it!

Love hearing from you! (don't worry about the length! I love hearing your feedback!)

Ok one last thing I want to mention is that in my head, Bruce and Aria are very close and protective of each other, especially after the tragedy that took their parents. So that's why they talk to each other a lot. It might be slightly out of character for Bruce, but hey in the movie he doesn't have a little sister to look after, so I will continue rolling with how I think Bruce in this universe would be like with a sister if that's ok.

Now, onto the story!

God Bless and Good Day!

~The Lupine Sojourner

Alfred and I have started talking about the possibilities of me getting some homeschooling before my GED or whether I should just continue at school. So far, I have Alfred mostly convinced (I think) to homeschool me when Bruce walked by the door, briefly stopping before realizing that we were busy and starting to go.

"Did you need something, Master Bruce?" Alfred asks after him.

Bruce stops "No, no. It can wait." But then he walks in anyway. "What're you talking about?"

"Well, Miss Aria has decided she would like to study for and take the test to get her GED."

Bruce frowns at me. "Why?" He asks.

"I don't want to be left behind." I mumble, shuffling a bit. I'm not sure what made me say that out in the open like this, but I can't take it back now. I do mean it though. I had thought long and hard about why it was that I was so worried about Bruce going off to college and I realized…I was going to miss him so much.

"What're you talking about?" Bruce asks gently and I find my throat starting to close as a warning of rising emotions and potential tears.

I swallow thickly and take a breath. "I just…I feel like, with you going off to college soon, I'll be…alone. Or, without you." My eyes are starting to prickle and tears begin to form. I close them, praying I could get this under control so I don't-crap. There's the tears. "And…And I know I've got Alfred, but you won't be here, and I don't want that."

"Ari, c'mere." Bruce's voice is so gentle I can't help running to him. He moves only a little when I hug him and then his arms are around me, making me feel a little better. Alfred doesn't speak or move, leaving us to our moment. "I won't be far, ok?" He murmurs, one hand stroking my back, the other smoothing my tears away. "I'm not leaving forever, I promise."

I squeeze him, feeling like a little kid. "I know. M'sorry. I just…I've never been without you."

It was true. Literally since the day I was born, Bruce had helped Mom and Dad with me. Mom had even told me that when Bruce first held me in the hospital he'd said, in the most serious voice Mom had ever heard Bruce use, 'I protect my baby sister' (mom said it was a little sad hearing her four year old son make such a proclamation, but she knew he meant it so she let him protect me). And he had always been true to his word, sticking by me through thick and thin, all these years. Now…he was leaving.

"I know. But, like I said, it's not forever." He crouches a little to hug me properly. I wasn't much shorter than him. "So study hard, ok? Then we can go to a college together, maybe even a few different ones, ok? That sound good?" I take a deep breath, my exhale shuddering a bit as my emotions retreat as fast as they'd come out.

I wipe my tears away and try for a small smile. "Yeah that sounds good."

=#=#=#=#=

The rest of the day, I notice Bruce making an effort to be in the same room with me. Basically, that meant he was on his computer looking at something he wouldn't show me, but at least he was making an effort to be with me a little more before he leaves.

"What're you doing?" I ask, bored of the book I was reading.

"Looking at parts for the car." Bruce replies off-handedly.

I walk over. "Oooh! Does that mean" I lower my voice "we're going for another ride?" I ask.

"Not necessarily. Actually, I'm going to head over to the racetrack. Maybe that officer last night was onto something." Bruce murmurs back, his voice fairly soft. We were in a smaller study not far from Alfred's study. I swear that man has super hearing sometimes.

Regardless, I smile. "Can I come?"

"..." He considers it. "Don't see why not." He sighs, scrolling a bit more, apparently not finding what he was looking for. "I'm not going til later, though."

"Awww!" I protest overdramatically, pretending to walk away uninterested.

"Do you want to go or not?" Bruce asks coyly.

"I do!" I am back at his side quickly.

"Then calm down."

"Ok."

True to his word, we left later, shortly after dinner, really. We cleared our plates off the table, put them in the sink and were dismissed.

Bruce grabbed my hand and led me to the station. It was just as cool as last time.

I side-hug Bruce as we wak to the car. "I know you're just doing this because of what I said earlier, but thanks for including me." It was time I start trying to communicate things clearly to Bruce, not just leave him to his thoughts or to assume he could tell what I was thinking and feeling.

Bruce stops, turning me to face him. "Ari, you're my sister. Remember that story Mom always told, about me holding you for the first time?"

"Yeah?" I have no idea where he's going with this.

"I mean what I said, I always have. It's just…I can't always be there. Because we're at different points in our lives, there may be times I can't be around. But just know that, no matter what, I will always come back to you." He smiles and holds up the keys. "And when I'm around, we can do fun things like this. Deal?"

"Deal!" I chirp, kissing his cheek. "I love you!"

"I love you, too." Bruce replies, kissing my temple before walking away to get in the driver's seat of the car.

I plop myself in the passenger seat and smile as I buckle my seatbelt. I feel much better now that Bruce and I talked things out!

=#=#=#=#=

The ride to the racetrack was shorter than I thought, this time with no cops to stop our fun, but Bruce was careful not to push his luck too much.

We pull into the track and find it largely empty. When no immediate entrances greet us, we're left to wander around a bit, finally finding a door to the offices. Bruce opens the door for me and we walk in.

At the desk are two men. They don't seem super thrilled to be here, but I guess a lot of adults feel that way.

"Can we help you two?" One of them asks.

"Yeah. I was wondering about your races." Bruce begins, leaving me just a little behind him.

All of a sudden, I'm wondering why I asked to come. It's not like I had much to do with Bruce signing up for races. Then I realized Bruce let me come so we could spend a little time together. And that was fine. Even if I don't do too much, I was still with my brother, where I want to be.

"This time of year, they're just on the weekends." The other guy explains. "The whole schedule's on the website."

I frown. These guys don't seem the super helpful type. Great.

"And, uh, how do you enter?" Bruce presses, stepping forward a little.

"You mean to drive?" A guy asks, frowning a bit.

"What else?" I grumble under my breath. Luckily, no one heard me.

"Yeah." The men seem a bit taken aback, one squinting at Bruce.

"How old are you?" He asks.

Bruce sighs a little. "Seventeen."

"What about her?" The other man asks, nodding vaguely at me.

"I'm not here to try to race. I'm just…with my brother." I murmur. "I don't even have my permit yet."

The man hums a bit then returns his attention to Bruce. "Sorry kid. You gotta be at least eighteen to race here. State law. Why don't you just watch this year and maybe give it a go next year. Tell you what?" He opens a drawer and starts looking for something. "I think I've got some half-price admissions coupons here somewhere. You two can watch the races together."

"That'd be nice. Thanks." Even though Bruce and I didn't need any coupons, it was a nice gesture.

I then notice the other man staring at us, as if trying to remember where he's seen us. Uh-oh…

"Hey…I know you two…" He mumbles, still staring at us. "I've seen your pictures in the paper. You're the Wayne kids, aren't you? Bruce and Aria."

There it is. Why does it feel like someone uncovered our secret identities or something? I squirm a little as Bruce winches subtly.

The man looking through the drawer stops, his head turning to us as if he couldn't believe we were here. "The Waynes?" He chuckles a bit. "I guess I can stop looking for those coupons! You don't need coupons to the races. Either of you could buy this whole track! Listen, if you do, I sure could use a raise!" He laughs at his own joke.

I grit my teeth. Why did this always happen when people recognize us? They always joke about how much money we have. Why?

We're not adults yet. We'd have to get Alfred to withdraw money. Or, at least, I do. Bruce might not. I'm not sure. Either way, these guys don't know what they're talking bout.

"Man, it's a good thing you're too young. I wouldn't want to be responsible for Bruce Wayne crashing on our racetrack." One jokes, chuckling. "I'd never hear the end of it. Plus, the city would shut us down permanently."

The other guy cracks a mean sort of smirk. "Oh, don't worry. Their chauffeur does all the driving!" They men laugh like we weren't standing right here, humiliated and embarrassed.

I feel my cheeks warming. I want to leave.

As if he read my mind, Bruce grabs my hand and we leave, letting the door slam shut behind us. In the office, we hear more laughter. Those jerks would no doubt joke and laugh cruelly like that for a long time.

They acted like we weren't even there! They were making all those mean jokes like they knew us!

But no one does except Alfred. He's the only one who understands us. He's the only one that doesn't judge us for how much money our parents left us.

No matter what, that amount of money doesn't erase our parents' deaths. It doesn't matter how much money we have or how much we make. It won't ever bring them back.

I feel tears pricking my eyes and sniffle a bit.

"You ok?" Bruce asks, hand on my shoulder.

"Why does everyone have to joke like that?" I ask, my voice trembling a bit as I wipe the tears away.

"...I don't know." He sighs, then squeezes my shoulder, leaning forward conspiritorially. "Wanna see if we can make it to the countryside this time?"

I smile. "Yeah!"

We get into the car and drive off. I'd half-forgotten the racetrack was on the outskirts of Gotham, so we make it to the countryside easily this time, no cops to stop us and make condescending jokes.

"Don't let those jerks get to you." Bruce says, seeing that I was still upset, but I glance at him and see he's not taking his own advice. "They don't know us, so why bother letting them get under your skin?"

"They just…" I exhale. "They always forget we only have that money because…" Even after these 7 years, it's still hard to verbalize that our parents were dead. It still aches to think about it.

"I know. That's why we just ignore them." Bruce says, speeding up down some random side roads.

"Yeah. They're jerks, anyway. They're not worth getting upset over."

"Exactly." Bruce has a small grin as he goes even faster.

We drive around for a while and then we pull back into the station, trying not to make noise as we sneak back into the house.

Alfred finds us making milkshakes. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" He asks grumpily. "Where were you, then?" He crosses his arms. "Out for another joyride?"

I blink. How had Alfred known?

"I was testing my engine." Bruce replies. "That's all."

"..." Alfred sighs resignedly. "Here, add an egg to that shake. It'll make it frothier." Alfred helps us make a small shake each, then hands us our traditional cookie. "Right then. Are we celebrating a good test drive or drowning our sorrows?"

"Little of both." I reply without thinking, sipping my shake. "Bruce, ah, got the idea to see about racing at the racetrack and really see how his engine runs, but the jerks at the desk said he wasn't old enough and when they realized who we were, they made a lot of insensitive jokes. We drove around the country for a little bit to feel better, then came back."

Bruce sighs as Alfred turns to him. "I trust you were mindful of your passenger whilst speeding down winding country roads?"

"Yes, Alfred." Bruce mumbles, sucking up his shake to avoid talking further.

"Good. Now, finish up and clean up, will you? I'm turning in for the night."

I nod. "Goodnight, Alfred!" I call after him as he walks out of the kitchen.

"'Night." Bruce adds, chewing a bite of cookie.

"Goodnight, Aria. Goodnight, Bruce." He says back and closes the kitchen door.

=#=#=#=#=

Bruce didn't seem to want to go on joyrides the next few days, even as far as a week.

I hung out in the station with him as he tweaked his car some more. He never minded and I would be reading or doodling. I just liked knowing where Bruce was and that he didn't mind me just being there. We didn't have to talk much if we didn't want to, and that was fine.

We didn't talk much more about my confession of not wanting Bruce to leave. We'd already said everything we needed to on that front, so why continue bringing it up?

Alfred had also agreed to start homeschooling me when the summer was over, and to continue my education til he was satisfied I was ready for college then he'd set up my GED test so I can start college only a few years after Bruce.

It was the best deal I was likely to get so I agreed to it.

"What else are you going to do to the car?" I ask, finishing a doodle of a girl running.

"I dunno. I just like seeing what else I can do with it." He replies, sounding a bit tired.

"You thinking about racing at the track next year?" We hadn't really talked too much about that since we'd talked to those jerks.

"Not sure yet. I'm keeping it in mind." It was clear Bruce didn't know for sure yet so he didn't see the point in talking about it til he'd made his decision.

"Ok." I then look at my watch. "Hey, it's about lunchtime. Wanna go get a sandwich or something?"

Bruce scoots out from the car, sitting up. "May as well, I guess. This part is being stubborn. I'll come back to it after lunch."

We go up and get peanut butter sandwiches with some pretzels and water.

"If you do race, can I ride with you?" I ask, smirking a bit. I knew better. To lighten the load, only the driver was in the car.

"Wait til you can have a turn at the wheel." He retorts, knowing I was joking.

"Ha! I don't think I'd be a good race driver."

"You never know." Bruce murmurs, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"First, Miss Aria would need her driver's license, young man." Alfred calls, walking into the room.

"Hey, Alfred." I greet, smiling.

"Afternoon, Aria. Where have you two been all this time?"

I didn't see any harm in telling Alfred where we'd been, but I look subtly to Bruce.

"I'm toying with my car, that's all." He says. "Aria likes to hang out with me."

"I see." Alfred didn't seem to want to press us on where in the Tower Bruce keeps the car, trusting that Bruce knows what he's doing. Or Alfred already knew about the station. "Glad to see you're feeding your sister something other than ice cream." He muses coyly.

I laugh as Alfred digs out some ham and cheddar, making himself a sandwich. "Didn't want to bother you for lunch." I explain, shrugging.

"You're never a bother, either of you." Alfred says, pausing with the bread knife partway through the loaf of bread to make sure we knew he was serious. "You can always come to me, you know."

I nod. "I know. Thanks, Alfred." I reply, unsure what else to say. Does he suspect that we'd gone on more joyrides? Had Bruce gone out without me and Alfred was trying to get him confess?

No, that probably wasn't it. Alfred probably just wanted to reassure us we could talk to him. That's all.

=#=#=#=#=

A few nights later, Bruce taps on my doorway. "Hey."

"What's up?" I ask, setting my book aside.

"I…need to confess something." He says, walking in and sitting on the edge of my bed. "I may have…entered into a street race."

I blink. "What?"

"I happened upon someone who was going to the race, so I entered. I'm going to see if there are openings tonight. Figured you'd wanna be there to cheer me on."

I swallow. This is a dangerous and illegal race, I know that. I shouldn't go. I know that. But…Bruce was offering to take me of his own accord. I didn't have to talk him into taking me, and…if something were to happen…I think I'd rather be there for him, to try to help him.

"They know who you are?" I ask, the thought occurring to me.

"No. I called myself Paul when I met the person who told me about the race."

"So how do they not recognize you?" I ask, knowing it was a pet peeve of ours.

"I wear clothes Bruce Wayne wouldn't wear and have a beanie on." He explains. "Plus I haven't been around them long enough for them to recognize me yet."

"So I should grab one of your jackets and wear a ballcap?" I see Bruce's smile and realize he really wanted me there. He wanted me to watch him race and cheer him on.

I decide that was worth it. Besides, in the unlikely event something were to happen, I'd be there to help as best I can.

He ruffles my hair. "Sounds good. C'mon. We're gonna be late."

I get up. "You grab a jacket for me, I'll meet you down there."

"Sure." He leaves quickly then I pull on a pair of rougher looking jeans and a baggy t-shirt I used as pajamas, then grab a pair of combat boots I'd bought. They were nice, but not what I might usually wear out of the house.

There. No one would look at me and immediately think 'that's an heir of millions'. I grab an old hat that Dad had once bought when I asked for it in a gift shop or something. I loved this hat, and I don't think there are many pictures of me in it. Satisfied with my look, I sneak out of my room and into the elevator.

Bruce is waiting for me in the station as promised. "Not bad." He says as he takes in my outfit. He tosses me a jacket. "It's chilly tonight."

We climb into the car and drive off. Bruce was careful not to go fast much at all on the way there.

"Ok, so just let me do the talking, and I mean it this time." Bruce instructs.

I nod. "Ok."

"What name do you want me to give them?" Bruce asks.

"River." I reply, not sure why I liked that name so much.

"Alright." We pull into an abandoned parking lot, where other cars had started to gather. Bruce finds a good parking space and I notice someone walking up to us as we get out of the car.

"Paul! Good news! You're in!" She greets, then sees me, her face flashing with surprise as she looks me over. "Oh! I see you brought a friend!"

"My sister, actually." Bruce says. "This is River. River, meet Dex." He gestures between us.

I shake the young woman's hand politely. "Pleasure."

Dex smirks at me. "Here to take over your brother's career?" She teases.

"Not yet. I'll learn what I can from him first." I shoot back, and we share a laugh.

"I like her, Paul." Dex then moves toward the hood of Bruce's car. Her brows raise. "You added a supercharger since the last time we saw you." She muses. Bruce just nods, his eyes following her movements as she looks over his car. I smirk. He likes her. At least, I think so. "Well, let's see your handiwork. Pop the hood!"

Bruce does, still quiet.

"Hey, River, C'mere. We've got a few minutes til the race starts. Let's see if we can fix what he messed up!"

I chuckle, walking over. "Sure, but I'm not gonna be much help. I just watched him work. I never learned how to work on an engine."

However, when she actually looked at the engine all she could say was "Sweet! Nice job!" She drops the hood. "Can't wait to see this thing move!"

"Thanks." Bruce murmurs.

"Just don't be a sore loser when Paul wins!" I joke, jostling Dex a bit with my elbow.

"Ha! We'll see about that!" Dex retorts.

"Drivers!" A girl calls from across the parking lot. "Circle up!"

"That's us. You can come, too, River. Just stay with the spectators, ok?"

I nod. "Sure." Bruce closes the hood, then we walk toward the girl. I then see a group of kids sitting on the hoods or roofs of their cars, clearly the spectators I was told to stay with. I pat Bruce's shoulder. "Good luck out there, Paul." Bruce puts his hand on mine for a second or two.

"Thanks."

I leave and stay near the edge of the group, not knowing anyone.

"You new here?" A kid asks. He looks only a few years older than me.

"Yeah. My brother asked if I wanted to cheer him on." I reply.

"Cool."

The drivers talk to the girl for a bit, adding some money to a cloth drawstring bag, a few making jokes after getting instructions, before they were dismissed, getting into their cars and starting their engines. They lined up on a black line spray-painted on the pavement. The girl who'd called them over grabs a checkered flag and walks the line of racers like a performer. The spectators whooped, a few honking their horns.

The girl raises the flag when she gets to the end of the line, dropping it after a few seconds.

The cars tear out of the parking lot in groups of twos or threes. They look in control, but I can't help being nervous I watch Bruce pull a few stunts to get a better position before he's lost to sight.

"Who's your brother?" The boy who'd talked to me before asks.

"Uh, Paul." I reply. "It's his first race."

"He'll have a hard time getting past Dex. She's our top racer." He chuckles. "People come close but she's never let them get by her."

I smirk. "Paul can." I was somehow confident.

"Sure." The boy retorts, scoffing. He turns to me. "Sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

"River." I reply, remembering the fake name I'd made up so we wouldn't be in tomorrow's paper.

"Mine's Hal." He replies and we shake hands.

"Pleasure." Things fall quiet as we wait for the racers to complete the course.

"Hey, wanna climb a tree, see if we can spot them?" Hal asks as the minutes tick by.

"Sure!" I reply and we walk toward a tall pine tree on the outskirts of the parking lot.

We climb in silence, each confident in our abilities. We end up close to each othe rclose to the top. I had a decent view of the surrounding area but even then it took a while to find the group of racers, but finally I saw a collection of headlights barreling toward us.

And then, behind the group, I see a plume of smoke and flames. My heart hammering, I lean out a little to try to see what the fire was. It was too far away to make out, but I think- "Hey I think that's a car on fire!" I exclaim, heart hammering.

What if it was Bruce's car?! What if he was hurt?!

"What?" Hal follows where I'm pointing as I try to see where to go to get to the flaming car.

"C'mon!" I cry, scrambling down the tree. The racers zoom into the parking lot, and I scan the cars. Bruce's wasn't here!

Crap! I take off for the end of the parking lot the racers had come in from, even as people start doing a headcount and realize a few cars and drivers are missing.

"Wait, River!" Hal calls but I am already sprinting away.

I couldn't hear much over the sound of my thundering heart. This is exactly why I wanted to come! Something did happen! What could've made that car catch fire? Was it Bruce's car?! These questions repeated in my head as I pound my legs harder, trying to get to the scene as fast as I can.

I hear an explosion in the direction of the flaming car. Oh no! Tears burn in my eyes but I keep running.

Then, in the distance, I see headlights coming toward me. I move over a little to avoid it, but then the car stops in front of me. I glance at it, skidding a bit to a stop when I see Bruce get out of his car.

"Aria, c'mon!" He calls. "Time to leave." I run over, panting as I hug him tightly. "Hey, what's- -"

"What happened?!" I ask. "I saw the fire! The smoke! I heard an explosion!"

"Ari, let's just get in the car. I will explain on the way home, I promise. We gotta go."

Shakily, I nod. Bruce leads me over to the passenger side and opens the door for me and grabbing his beanie that he'd placed in the passenger seat. I then get in, having to reluctantly let go of my brother's hand as he leaves to get into the driver seat and start driving.

"Are you ok?" I ask, still panting, as we buckle our seatbelts and pull out, finding a spot to turn around and start heading home.

"Yes, I promise I'm ok."

"Then what happened?"

"I'm not sure. I saw a flash in Dex's tailpipe and- -"

"Is she ok?" I ask worriedly, hardly aware I was interrupting.

"Yes. I pulled her out of her car before her fuel tank exploded." Bruce replies patiently. "I'm not sure what happened or what that flash was" His eyes get serious "but I'm hoping to find out."

"How?"

"I used my beanie to get a sample from Dex's tailpipes."

"And you're going to do…what with it?" I ask, frowning at the beanie in Bruce's lap.

"Take it to my lab." Bruce explains. "I've been learning about forensics and the techniques they use to find clues."

"Oh. Can I help you?" I ask, very interested in the mystery.

"...I don't know. Maybe." He looks at me when we stop at a red light. "You ok?" He asks.

"Y-yeah I just got scared when I saw your car hadn't come back. I was really worried you'd been hurt…or worse."

He puts his hand gently on my leg. "Ari, I made a promise, remember?" I nod. "I'm not gonna leave you."

"I just got so scared…" I swallow, my throat starting to get choked with emotion. "I wanted to come just in case something happened. I know these races are really dangerous, and I just…" I suddenly can't get words out, trying to keep from breaking down.

"Hey, hey hey." Bruce soothes, his hand still on my leg. "Give me your hand." I do, and Bruce moves my hand to his heart, eyes focused on the road. "Feel that? That's my heart. I'm still alive, ok? I'm fine. Dex is fine. No one was hurt."

I take deep breaths, focusing on my brother's heartbeat for maybe a minute before I move my hand.

"Thanks, Bruce."

"You feel a bit better?" He asks gently.

"Yeah."

"I didn't mean to scare you but I had to help Dex. I was coming back to get you, I promise."

"I know." I take another breath. "I feel a little better now."

"Good."

Bruce let me cuddle with him for a little bit when we got back and I feel a lot better when I sneak back to my room, settling down for some sleep after the excitement of the night.

No one was hurt and Bruce was ok.

That was all that mattered.