A/N: And another chapter! Sorry this one took a bit longer to write, I'm trying to pace everything as best I can while also keeping things moving. The Team was also a little harder to write than I originally thought they would be so that took a little bit of time as well. I'm sorry if they seem a bit OOC, I wanted to have some subtle differences in them but nothing too major so hopefully I did okay on that front!

SIX: ALLIES

Recognized. Sparrow. B-07.

Everything is white for a moment after I step through the zeta tube. I can hear the murmur of voices, Robin's among them. They sound excited and a little curious. When my vision starts coming back I realize Batman is standing in from of me, temporarily blocking me from view. The Team knows I'm hear after the zeta's announcement but I'm grateful to have a moment to compose myself. I never realized how much traveling by zeta would make my stomach flip. I swallow a few times, trying to avoid throwing up. That would be a great first impression.

Once I'm certain my dinner is staying in my stomach I step up next to Batman, squaring my shoulders and trying to look confident as Batman clears his throat to gain the Team's attention. Robin is standing in the middle of their small cluster and they all turn when he does. Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian and Superboy. In the flesh. Wow.

"Team, this is Sparrow. She's going to be joining you once her training has finished. I wanted to introduce her before then though to help with the adjustment period that comes with a new team member," Batman's voice draws all of their eyes to me and I work not to fidget under their scrutiny.

"Rob, you didn't tell me you were bringing a girl with you tonight," Kid Flash is directly in front of me between one blink and the next. He waggles his eyebrows at me, "Hi there, the name's Kid Flash but you can call me Wally."

"It's nice to meet you, Wally," I hold out a hand for him to shake, "Robin's told me a lot about you."

Kid Flash takes my hand and brushes a kiss over my knuckles, "All good things, I'm sure."

I snort and pull my hand back, "Yes. He also warned me you were a flirt."

Kid Flash shoots Robin a look before grinning at me again, "You can't believe everything he says."

"Uh huh," I grin slightly, amused by his antics. Kid Flash was always the funniest member of the Team in my opinion. He was also the optimistic one which I adored. Even when things got bad he was there with a quick remark and an even quicker smile. Plus, his souvenirs were pretty awesome.

Aqualad steps forward next, "Welcome to the Team, Sparrow. I am Aqualad. Kaldur'ahm, or Kaldur, to my friends. I am pleased to have you join us."

I smile back politely, shaking the hand he holds out to me, "It's nice to meet you too, Kaldur'ahm. I look forward to working with you."

Aqualad nods and returns my smile. Always polite, always in control. No one would ever guess at the turmoil just under the surface of that smile and those kind eyes. Always selfless. I wonder, briefly, if I can help him. If I can show him it's okay to let others know when you are stressed or unsure without fear of judgment. He's already a good leader, but he could be great.

"Hi there, I'm Miss Martian but everyone calls me Miss M or M'gann! I'm so happy to have another girl around!" Miss Martian has her hands clasped under her chin, her eyes bright with excitement as she floats in front of me.

I can't help the wide smile breaking across my face at her reaction. M'gann is adorable, like a puppy. Easily excitable, always cheerful and fiercely loyal, "Hello, M'gann. It's nice to know I won't be the only girl around here. Robin says you like baking?"

She nods enthusiastically, "I love to bake and cook."

"Maybe you can teach me a thing or two. I tend to burn everything I try to cook," I drop my voice lower, like I'm giving her one of my biggest secrets.

She giggles, "I did too when I first started learning. But don't worry, Wally will still eat whatever you make."

I chuckle, "That's good to hear."

Superboy steps forward slightly. He isn't as close as the rest of them, keeping slightly to the edge of the group, but he nods slightly in my direction, "Superboy."

I give him a short nod back, "Nice to meet you."

I still remember how Superboy was at this point in time: confrontational, a little lost, and not overly trusting. I couldn't blame him of course, he spent the beginning of his life in a tube being fed information about the outside world from psychic little gnome things who could control his mind. I shiver, those little things always creeped me out. Glowing horns, red eyes and contorted little bodies. Nope, nope, nope.

"How do you and Robin know one another?" Aqualad's question draws me back to the rest of the group again.

"Come on, you know you aren't supposed to ask about our lives outside of here. She's already been told not to say anything too," Robin pipes up, throwing an arm over my shoulders and grinning.

I shrug at the frustrated looks on Aqualad and Kid Flash's faces. They're both used to this but I doubt that makes it any easier. After all, we know both of their civilian names but they know next to nothing about us. I also can't really blame Bruce though. He's famous. If Bruce's or Batman's enemies found out who he really was it could be extremely dangerous. Finding out my identity or Dick's would unravel the whole thing. So we have to keep our mouths shut.

Batman clears his throat from behind me and suddenly all eyes are on him without hesitation, "I need to patrol Gotham. Robin, Sparrow remember what we discussed."

I nod and Robin gives Batman a thumbs up, "We'll see you later."

Batman turns on his heel. With a flourish of his black cape and the blinding light of the Zeta tube he's gone. Suddenly, it's just me and the Team and now I'm nervous. I chew on my bottom lip, uncertain how I'm supposed to interact with them. I mean, with Batman here they kind of have to be friendly but he's gone now. They might not like me. Childish thought, I know.

"So, how old are you Sparrow?" Miss Martian asks, "You look like you aren't much older than Robin."

"I'm actually older than him."

"By like, five days," Robin protests, much to everyone's amusement.

"Five days or five minutes, I'm still older," I stick my tongue out and laugh when he rolls his eyes.

"I have more experience though so technically you still have to listen to me," he counters with a smug look on his face.

I ruffle his hair much to his disdain, "I'm still taller."

"That doesn't mean anything. I can still kick your butt."

"For now."

"You two seem pretty close," Kid Flash is suddenly right next to us, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looks back and forth between the two of us, "How long have you known each other?"

"A little over a month now?" I honestly can't remember exactly how long I've been here. I know it's been at least a month but it was hard to keep perfect track of the days when I spent most of my time training in the Cave.

"Wait, you've been around for a month and we're just meeting you?" Kid Flash looks to Robin again, "Dude, you've been keeping her hidden from the rest of us for a month?"

Robin huffs out in annoyance, "You know how Batman is. He wanted to make sure she was trained before introducing her. Plus, we had to make sure we could trust her."

Kid Flash stares at him for a long moment before letting out a small sigh, "I guess that makes sense. We don't need people we can't trust on the Team."

I have to force myself to smile and nod. I'm technically hiding things from them. Doesn't that make me untrustworthy? I mean, an actual trustworthy person doesn't hide things from their fellow Team members or their friends. They are up front about everything. And yet, here I was keeping secrets that could very well prevent a lot of future tragedy.

"Has Bats mentioned any potential missions recently? It's been so boring recently," Wally lets out a dramatic sigh, putting on his best wounded face.

"You know he doesn't tell me about missions until we're given them."

Wally groaned, "Man. I really wanted another mission before I had to go back to school tomorrow. It isn't fair you don't go back until next week."

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't live in Gotham. We have to have some sort of perk, dealing with the amount of crime we do."

Wally waved a hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah whatever. What should we do on my last night of freedom?"

YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ

Hours later Robin and I head back through the Zeta tube and step into the Cave. Batman isn't back from patrol yet but Alfred is tidying up the medical rooms and he smiles warmly when he sees us, "I trust you had a good night with the Team?"

I nod enthusiastically, "It was great! We watched a movie and then I kicked everyone's butts in some video games. Wally was so mad!"

Robin cackles, "Oh man, I thought he was going to lose it when you beat him for the third time in a row. I had no idea you were so good at video games."

"We haven't really had a chance to play them much since I came here. Back home though, I was pretty good if I do say so myself. I even had a series of Batman video games. Those were always kind of difficult but man, they were fun."

"There were Batman video games?"

I laugh and nod, peeling my mask off my face, "Oh yeah, a ton. There was this one series I absolutely loved though centered on Arkham. I think out of those, Arkham Origins was my favorite. Lots of cool assassins and backstory you don't get very often. You would probably really like them. Lots of strategy involved."

"That sounds awesome."

"It is."

"I'm glad you seem to be getting along with the others, Miss Addilyn. I knew you would fit right in," Alfred sounds amused by our entire conversation. Two teenagers raving about video games while dressed up like superheroes. That's normal, right?

"I'm glad too. I was a little nervous but it looks like I had no reason to be!"

Alfred nods and motions toward the changing rooms, "If you two go change I will have a plate of cookies for you in the kitchen."

Robin is gone a second later, vanishing into the changing room. I take off after him while Alfred chuckles and moves to the elevator.

I strip quickly, shivering slightly when the cool cave air touches my skin. I didn't even realize how well the uniform was regulating my temperature until it wasn't anymore. I wonder if I could convince Bruce to make me a blanket out of the same stuff. I could use it in the Cave when I'm doing my research and practicing my hacking. It's always freaking cold down here.

"Addi! Hurry up!" there's a constant thump against the door and I can picture Dick standing outside banging his fists against the door over and over again.

I laugh and slip into the pajamas Alfred must have brought down at some point to replace my usual civilian clothing. The cotton pants are warm and soft, easing some of the chill. The long-sleeve shirt chases away the last of the cold. I slip into the thick socks last, curling my toes into the soft fuzziness of the fabric. Alfred must be psychic or something, knowing I would want warm comfy clothes after the uniform.

Dick is waiting very impatiently outside the door when I come out, rocking back and forth on his feet. He's in pajamas too. Black cotton pants, blue t-shirt and black socks. His hair is ruffled mess, even more than usual, and his eyes are wide. He looks every bit the thirteen-year-old boy he is in that moment. Happy, rambunctious and just a bit mischievous.

"Come on, Alfie's cookies are to die for!" Dick grabs my hand and drags me to the elevator. One month ago, when I first came here, having him hold my hand would have made me blush like a fool and fall over myself in embarrassment. Now, though, after a month of training he's more a brother to me than anything. He's kicked my butt more times than I can count, we've bonded over our shared losses and at some point the crush I always had on him morphed into something deeper. It was different for me, having a boy who was so close to me. Even before, I never had male friends really. It was different, but nice.

We're stepping out of the elevator a few minutes later and I can already smell the cookies. My mouth waters as we wind through the manor to the kitchen, the smell growing strong and stronger. I have had Alfred's cookies once since coming here. My first full day here Alfred made a batch and I ate four after dinner. My stomach hurt but it was worth it. I couldn't wait to have them again.

Alfred was waiting for us, a plate piled with cookies sitting on the counter and two glasses of milk sitting beside it. Dick grabs the plate and one of the glasses, "Come on, we can watch another movie before bed. Batman won't be back for a while."

I grab my own glass and follow Dick out of the kitchen and into the massive TV room. It's practically a movie theater. A huge sofa with recliner seats and cup holders, surround sound speakers, no windows and a television that takes up almost an entire wall. It was probably one of my favorite rooms in the entire manor. The library was definitely at the top of my favorites followed by this room and then the parlor. I liked all the natural light in there whereas in this room, I enjoyed how dark and isolated it felt.

Dick flopped onto the couch, placing the plate of cookies on the coffee and table and switching on the television. He clicked through a few menus while he munched on a cookie, settling on some action movie I'd never even heard of. I was learning quickly there were a lot of movies here I'd never heard of before. Some of them were similar to movies I remembered seeing growing up but they had different names and obviously different people acting in them.

I settle onto the couch next to him, grabbing my own cookie and taking a bit. It's just as amazing as I remember from the first time and I have to hold back a small groan of happiness. I could probably eat these cookie every day for every meal and be satisfied with my life.

"I love Alfie's cookies," Dick murmurs around a mouth full of chocolate chip deliciousness.

I nod enthusiastically, "Me too."

We fall into silence after that, eating our cookies and watching the movie. It's one of the most peaceful nights I've had since my accident and I love it.

YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ

I must fall asleep at some point because the next time I'm aware of my surroundings, my head is resting on something warm and a blanket has been draped over me. I blink a few times into the inky darkness, panicking for a moment before I remember Dick and I were watching a movie in the manor last time I was awake so obviously everything is fine.

Whatever my head is resting on moves and that's about the time I realize it isn't a pillow, it's a person. I frown and sit up slightly, trying to see in the pitch black of the room. It's impossible, of course, I probably wouldn't even be able to see my hand in front of my face. My eyes are already growing heavy again too. Whoever it is, they must not mind me sleeping on them because I can hear soft snoring coming from them. With a sigh I settle back down and soon I'm fast asleep again.

YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ

Hours must pass this time because when I wake up again, there's light streaming into the room from the hallway. I yawn, rubbing at my eyes. There's a slight crick in my neck but I'm pretty sure that's the best I've slept in a long time.

"Morning," Dick yawns and that's when I realize I was using him as my pillow all night. My head was resting on his thigh which would explain why my neck is a little sore.

I sit up and move back to my own cushion, "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you like that."

He shrugs with a small smile, "I don't mind. I fell asleep pretty soon after you and you looked comfortable."

"Thank you," I pull the blanket around me a little tighter. The cold is always a little more noticeable in the morning, seeping in as my inner temperature readjusts.

He grins, "It's cool. Come on, I can smell breakfast and my stomach is rumbling,"

I laugh and follow him off the couch into the hallway. I can smell the food now too and my stomach growls loudly. Suddenly, I'm ravenous and can't get to the kitchen fast enough.

Bruce is already sitting at the table with a cup of steaming coffee, a newspaper and a plate with wheat toast and grapefruit on it. He puts the newspaper down as we walk in, "Good morning."

I yawn, waving lazily his direction as I move to the table, "Good morning, Bruce."

"Morning!" Dick is as chipper as usual, sliding into his seat and immediately grabbing some toast, eggs and bacon. Before I've even made it to my seat, he's shoving food into his mouth.

"Alfred says you two spent the night in the TV room," Bruce quirks an eyebrow as I slide into my own seat.

I grab my own toast and some eggs, "We fell asleep watching a movie after coming back from the Mountain."

Bruce nods, sipping at his coffee and glancing at Dick who is still shoveling food into his mouth without pausing, "Everything went well with the Team then?"

"Oh yeah! She destroyed Wally when we played video games. Probably the most entertaining thing I've seen in a long time," Dick paused long enough in his eating to share the news before going back to his food.

Bruce looks over at me again and I think I see curiosity in his eyes now, "Sounds like you had fun then."

I laugh and take a bite of my toast with a nod, "Definitely."

"Good. I know they have a beach trip planned for the day. If Dick thinks it's a good idea you're welcome to join them. I think we can reduce your training to a more normal level. You will train when Dick does and if you want to train more you're welcome to but you don't need to spend entire days in the gym anymore."

I can't help the grin breaking out over my face, "Really?"

Bruce smiles slightly, "Yes, really. We'll get a patrol in at some point in the next few days and we can discuss making you a full member of the Team after that."

"Awesome!"

I hope ya'll enjoyed this! I tried to put more time between when she met them but I also have a timeline I'm trying to follow myself. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter!

I had one of my Guest reviewers point out it's nice to interact with people who review my stories. I agree, that's always been pretty cool to see in the past. I will try to address reviews where I can from here on out, hopefully I can meet ya'lls expectations!

To the Guest reviewer who suggested this: Let me start off by saying, thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review for me! I always love reading them! I do have the alerts turned on for my phone, it makes my heart happy every time I get a new message about a review! I agree with you, there have been quite a few wonderful (and helpful) reviews on this story so far! I try to take them all into account without changing my own ideas too much! I hope to hear from you again soon!

To the Guest excited about the Robin/OC friendship:I'm glad you like it! I liked the idea of having them as close friends after reading so many fics about them falling in love and ending up together. While originally, I did have that in mind as I was rereading some of my favorite stories (which are all wonderful, no matter what) I realized there weren't really any friendship stories. I decided to change that! I'm so happy to hear you're excited about this story!

Robyn: Thank you so much! It was a few tweaks here and there but I feel like it really made a difference in the pacing of the story! I'm hoping it also helped me navigate around the cliché of putting the OC on the Team too soon. I hope you keep enjoying my story and I hope to hear from you again!

To the Guest with the subplot idea:I like that! I hadn't thought too much about that to be honest! I am definitely doing some research now though, seeing what I can alter ever so slightly. Poor Addi is going to hate me but I'm sure she'll forgive me eventually! Thank you so much for your input! I hope you continued to enjoy the story!

I hope to hear from everyone again soon! Like I said, getting your reviews makes me smile and helps inspire me to write even more!

Until next time,

Mercy