This story came to me after I was watching the Justice League Unlimited scenes about Ace, a young girl that Batman tried to save and stayed with her to the end. In light of Kevin Conroy's passing, this is my tribute to him.

Justice League Unlimited belongs to DC Comics and Warner Brothers. Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. I only own Rachel, Sasha, Apollo, and Joseph.

Carrying You In My Heart

"Okay, I think I found the box you mentioned, Uncle Joe," Rachel said as she kneeled in front of the medium-sized box while talking to her uncle on the phone, as he was away at a seminar at the moment.

"Thank you, dear," he said. "I didn't get a chance to open it. Would you take a look inside?"

"Sure," she said, opening the box. She stopped short though at seeing what was inside.

There was a soft plush tan bear with a white and black dress on. Around the bear's neck was a necklace that had a heart pendant that had colors reminding the girl of a zebra. Carefully, Rachel picked it up, tears filling her eyes as memories rose to the forefront of her mind.

"Ace," she said softly.

Joseph heard that loud and clear despite his niece saying it softly and he froze for a moment before feeling sorrow. "It has Ace's things?" He asked gently.

"Yes," Rachel managed to say as she saw Ace's adoption papers inside too. "Here's her adoption papers."

Joseph was quiet for a moment. "I would have given anything to have her live more than a few hours with us," he said softly.

"Me too," his niece said, her mind wandering back to that day again.

She was fourteen and had just lost her father a year prior, going to live with her uncles when Batman came to the Jocklin Mansion, holding a young girl in his arms. The girl had been so sick, practically on her deathbed, but she had wanted to know what it was like to have a family, to have siblings.

Batman recalled the Jocklin Brothers, who he was good friends with, and he knew their nieces were living with them, so he brought Ace to see them and when Ace had expressed her wish, Joseph had decided to grant her wish, adopting her as his daughter. Rachel had at once accepted Ace as a sister and she and Sasha had spent the girl's last couple hours with her.

They had gone shopping and Sasha had found the bear with the black and white dress and Rachel had found the necklace. They combined their gifts and gave the bear to Ace, who had been touched by the gift, thanking her sisters.

Sadly, Ace had passed away a couple hours after arriving at the Mansion. Batman had kept his word and stayed with the girl who had been through so much and her new family had stayed too as the girl fell into a forever sleep.

Rachel's mind came back to the present and she hugged the bear. "I miss her, Uncle Joe," she said softly.

"I do too," he said, just as softly. "I thought the bear had been put in the casket with her."

"I thought so too," the young woman said. "But it looks like the funeral home gave them back to us instead."

Joseph was quiet a moment. "Rachel? Where do you think we should put the bear?" He asked.

She looked at it and nodded. "I think it should go where it belongs," she said. "Ace's resting place."

The scientist smiled and nodded. "I couldn't agree more," he said.

Rachel stood up, holding the bear close. "I'll go do so right now," she said.

After wishing her uncle well, the young woman called Apollo, a Celestialsapien who had been Sergeant Williams until revealing who he really was and joining the family. As soon as Rachel told him what she had found and asked if he could take her to the cemetery, he agreed and in a blink, they were at the cemetery on the outskirts of Staybrook.

Rachel walked down the path, though it had been a long time since she had walked the path, she remembered where her sister's resting place was. As she approached, she noticed an unfamiliar Celestialsapien standing by the grave that had a fence around it, almost looking like he was standing guard.

"Apollo, who is that Celestialsapien?" Rachel asked the alien beside her.

"He is the guardian of your sister's resting place," Apollo replied. "No one disturbs her resting place. He had seen how you, your sister, and your uncle had helped Chromastone and when he saw how you all accepted Ace as if you had been in the family for years, he volunteered to guard her grave. He has never faltered once in this."

The young woman looked at the guardian Celestialsapien, who nodded in greeting. She smiled and he opened the gate for her, to which she bowed her head in thanks. She carefully stepped up to her sister's grave, gazing at it for a moment. "Hi, sis," she said softly. "I have something for you."

She carefully set the plush bear down so that its back was resting against the headstone. "I miss you, sis," she said, her voice still soft. "Though we only knew each other for a couple hours, I've never forgotten you."

She gently touched the headstone. "Love you, sis."

With that, she stood up and backed up, the gate closing and the guardian standing once again in his post. A swish of a cape sounded behind Rachel, but she didn't flinch, a small smile coming to her face.

"I had a feeling you would show up, old friend," she said just loud enough for the newcomer and two Celestialsapiens to hear.

"Looks like we were on the same wavelength," came a deep voice as the newcomer came up beside her. She turned her head to see the familiar cowl and cape of Gotham's hero, Batman.

"I found her bear and necklace in a box in my uncles' attic," she said. "We thought they had been put in the casket with her, but they hadn't. So...I was putting them where they belonged."

Batman nodded. "You, Sasha, and Joseph made her last moments happy," he said.

"So did you, Uncle Bruce," Rachel said softly. "You understood her. You saw deep down the young girl who was lost and just wanting to have someone understand her, treat her like a daughter, and to allow her to feel like a human, not a weapon."

He bowed his head a little. "She didn't get a chance to just be a human before that," he said softly. "I wanted to show her that not everyone saw her as a weapon. Show her what compassion was."

Tears filled the young woman's eyes. "You showed her there was people who cared and in doing so, she allowed herself to feel like she mattered. And when she wanted a family, we granted that wish. Your compassion and our family love helped to begin healing Ace's broken spirit. It helped her to be at peace with her inevitable passing and being surrounded by those she knew she could trust helped her to not be afraid."

Bruce placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder and she turned, hugging him and he returned the hug. "Thank you, Uncle Bruce, for being there for mine and Sasha's little sister," she said.

"Thank you for being the family she needed and wanted," he said.

The young woman looked at him. "Can you promise me something?" She asked.

"Yes?" He asked.

"When you meet Ace again, give her a big hug for us and let her know that we love her?"

Bruce nodded. "I will," he promised.

She noticed he started to look transparent. "Uncle Bruce?" She asked.

He smiled sadly. "I'll let her know," he said as he vanished, much to her surprise. She turned to Apollo, who bowed his head.

"He passed away a few days go," he said softly. "Someone else carries the mantle of Batman in his name."

"He wanted to comfort you and when he saw you arrive at your sister's resting place, he felt it was the best way to say goodbye and to take a message back to Ace," the Celestialsapien guardian said gently.

Rachel sniffled before nodding. "I'll always carry them in my heart," she said. "And I hope the one who stepped into Batman's shoes will carry on his legacy well."

She looked up and blinked as she saw Ace, who was smiling at her before Bruce showed up beside her and the young girl waved to Rachel before taking Bruce's outstretched hand and they turned to leave, fading away from sight.

The young woman smiled. "Love you, Ace," she said, knowing her sister heard her. "Love you too, Uncle Bruce. See you both again someday."

The two Celestialsapiens bowed their heads in respect as the wind blew gently through the graveyard. Rachel then stepped back and Apollo followed her while the Guardian Celestialsapien continued his vigil.

Apollo hugged Rachel. "They will never be forgotten," he promised.

She nodded. "Never," she repeated, her voice firm with that promise.

I grew up with the Justice League Unlimited and I was saddened to hear the one that voiced Batman passed away. May he rest in peace and never be forgotten.

GoldGuardian2418