I apologize. I have been concentrating on Finding You (which is complete) and I've neglected both my Batwoman stories and…well, my other stories too. Please forgive me.

I love Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox so I will be borrowing him for a bit.

A/N: In light of the recent death of Robin Williams (my comedic hero and genie), I felt it necessary to include a particular section of my story. I had contemplated deleting it but instead, I edited. I apologize in advance if I offend anyone or stir up memories for a few of you.

I own nothing but my imagination and laptop.

Cheers!

Chapter 2

3 years later

20 year old Grace sighed as she stood outside Gotham University. It wasn't her idea to enroll but she didn't have a choice. Nor was it her choice to be shipped off to therapeutic boarding school her last year of high school.

After her last fight, Katherine Kane had enough of her daughter's troubles. She had first suggested boot camp but Mr. Kane had put the kibosh to that idea.

…..

"She's not a bad kid Katherine…"

"You could have fooled me. How many times does she need to be suspended from or kicked out of school before we do something? I've had enough!" Katherine replied. She was growing frustrated.

"I understand, honey, I do. But we can`t just throw her into boot camp. Those are for severe cases-"

"And this isn't! Jacob the Monroe`s are thinking of pressing charges! They say Grace attacked their daughter-"

"After Grace was splattered with that green stuff, which their daughter placed in Grace`s locker. Katherine, listen to me…I know you`re just worried about her. But sending her to boot camp isn`t going to help her. "

Sighing, Katherine threw her hands up.

"Then what do we do?"

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck as he thought for a moment.

"I know of a place. It`s not boot camp…but it will take Grace away from the situation at school…"

Grace had spent her last year of high school at Gotham`s `prestigious` therapeutic boarding school. She hated it; the uniforms and the stiff upper lip she got from some of her teachers. The school was structured to resemble military life with all the 'YES SIR!', 'NO MA'AM'. The upside of all that was Grace was no longer bullied.

She and Trevor did their best to keep in touch; Grace regularly writing to her friend more than her family. Then Trevor had a severe change in personality. Grace started to worry. She would call her friend and when he wouldn`t answer, Grace would call his parents.

Every time Grace was able to get a hold of Trevor, he always sounded so…distant. And every time they hung up, Grace was tempted to bolt from the school and see her friend. She often wondered how he was holding up at school. Where the kids ok to him? Was he making friends?

She worried constantly and having no one to really talk to at her school, she kept to herself. A lot. Until she was approached by one of her classmates in her history class. At first Grace was suspicious but slowly warmed up to the girl. Since then, the two were inseparable.

"So…have you spoken to his parents about it?" Laurie asked. She slid into the seat next to Grace.

Shaking her head, Grace chewed on her lower lip.

"I don't want to worry them-"

"By keeping this a secret from them? It's been almost 5 months. I'm sure they noticed a change in him too," Laurie countered with her simple logic. Sighing, Grace just shrugged.

Grace slowly opened up to Laurie one afternoon in study hall. Since then, Laurie had made her mission to help Grace with her friend.

"It could be serious Grace. What if something happens to him and we didn't do anything to prevent it?"

Grace just stared at her friend.

"We?"

"Yeah, you big dope. We are gonna get Trever through this."

Grace smiled shyly as Laurie grinned and placed a hand over Grace's and gave it a gentle squeeze.

…..

But they didn't get Trevor through it. A week before Grace graduated she had gotten a call from Mr. Kane…

"Grace…I'm sorry to have to tell you this…Trevor…he-"

Grace felt her heart stop.

"What happened, sir?"

Jacob swallowed the lump in his throat.

"His parents, they found him…Grace, I've made arrangements with the school. You need to come home…"

…..

Though Grace wished she hadn't come back. Trevor's parents where devastated. There only son had committed suicide.

Suicide.

Grace still couldn't fully understand it. She knew something was wrong but didn't do much to help her friend. She should have done something more. And Grace felt angry for being taken away from Trevor when her friend needed her most.

Grace had made sure her mother and Mr. Kane knew exactly how she felt…

…..

"I HATE YOU! BOTH OF YOU!" Grace yelled once they returned home from the funeral. She felt her sadness and anger being balled into one, ready to explode.

Mr. Kane stepped forward slowly.

"Grace-"

"SHUT UP! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE!" Grace felt trapped. She started to breath heavily as she paced in front of the large steps leading up to the second floor of the house.

"I should've been here…," Grace mumbled and shoved her hands into her hair; tears falling heavily. Her mother cautiously reached out placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Honey-"

"FUCKING GET AWAY FROM ME!" Grace screamed and shoved her mother's hand off. Spinning on her heel, Grace ran up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Not knowing what else to do, Grace screamed. She screamed again, and again. She picked up objects lying around and threw them at the closed door all the while screaming.

Down stairs Katherine, Jacob and Kate stood silently. They listened as Grace screamed for long minutes. No one moved. Katherine held a hand to her chest and wept; Jacob wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Kate could feel her tears falling.

She can remember a time when she wanted to do just that. Scream. After her mother and sister were murdered, she wanted to scream out loud at the unfairness of it. But she soldiered on just as her father wanted her to.

Finally the screaming stopped. An eerie silence filled the house. Kate looked over at her father and Katherine. A part of Kate blamed the older woman for this. She was the one to suggest sending Grace away.

Kate shook her head clear that thought. No one stopped her when she started climbing the stairs. Kate wasn't sure what to say or what to expect when she opened the door to Grace's room. She just prepared for the worse.

Lightly knocking before opening the door, Kate wasn't ready for what she saw. The room looked as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Pictures, clothes, games…everything had been tossed. But what shocked Kate the most was the dead expression Grace had. She sat slumped against the far wall of her room, unmoving, hair and clothing dishevelled and breathing heavily. Dried tears left their mark along her cheeks.

Kate carefully made her way to her and silently sat next to her. The two sat silently for hours.

…..

"You just gonna stand out here all day?"

Grace rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend. Laurie had moved to Gotham after Trevor's death. She had wanted to stay close in case Grace needed her. Laurie never backed down when Grace begun to push people away, and she never let Grace forget that there were people here that loved her.

Laurie knew that Trevor's death had affected Grace tremendously. There was a sudden change in the way Grace moved through life since his passing. Laurie felt a little saddened that the girl she met 2 ½ years ago was no longer visible to the world.

"Thanks," Grace whispered. Laurie smiled gently and laced her fingers with hers and gave them a tender squeeze.

"Ok…let's go," Grace finally said. Squaring her shoulders, Grace and Laurie climbed the stair of Gotham University.

Laurie hoped that this would be a new beginning for Grace. And she wasn't the only one to think that. Grace's mother and stepfather as well as the ever disappearing Kate hoped that this would anchor Grace somehow.

"Trevor would have been proud of you," Laurie said softly as they made their way to the registration desk. Laurie felt Grace falter for a moment before hearing her sigh. Laurie glanced at Grace and noticed a pained look fall upon her face.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it."

But Laurie knew that she had pushed the wrong button. Instead of saying anything, Laurie sighed and let it go…for now.

"I'll see you later."

And with that Grace turned and disappeared into the throng of students.

"Fuck," Laurie mumbled. She hadn't meant to upset Grace. But she did. Pulling out her cell she flipped it open and quickly sent a text.

Expect bad weather on way home…

Laurie slipped her phone back into her pocket not bothering to wait for a reply. She got to know Kate enough to know that the redhead got the message.

Leaving the school, Laurie headed for work. She didn't notice a figure watching her leave.

…

Kate sighed as she read the short text. She pocketed her cell and watched as Laurie made her way to work. Since Trevor's death and the emotional melt down, Grace had been walking a very fine line. Kate took the necessary precautions to keep Grace safe. And that meant keeping tabs on her by any means necessary.

She'd deal with the fall out when the time came. She wasn't going to lose another sister…