Chpt.8

"That woman deserves the chair." Ms. Spencer hissed, her face full of anger. However, Mr. Wayne put a hand on her shoulder and shot her a warning look.

"Kate." He stated, as if just saying her name would dissuade her from whatever she was thinking. However, he did look pretty intimidating so I understood why the anger is Ms. Spencer's face drained a bit. However it never left her eyes.

I quickly pulled my shirt down after Ms. Spencer took the pictures and Wally was hugging me tightly.

"How could she… I don't…" he seemed to be having trouble wrapping his mind around what I had been through.

"I just want to forget." I said, leaning into the hug. Everyone in the room was silent and I felt bad for making everything so sad. I didn't want anyone to see my scars. I hated to look at them too, so I just wanted to keep people from seeing them.

"Lyf, why did your mother treat you like that?" Mr. Wayne inquired. When I looked up at him I could see that he was clearly worried about what all went on when I was in the house with my mother.

"She… she hates me. She hated how my father wouldn't let her get an abortion. She hated how I looked so much like him. She hated how much money it cost to raise me. She hated me for a lot of things that I couldn't really help. Then Dad left her and she hated me for that, saying it was my fault. Without Dad money got even more tight then it was and I became really worthless in her opinion. I couldn't work for money and I couldn't do anything right. The only reason why she wanted to keep me was because…" I bit my lip. I didn't like the truth behind why she kept me around. "Being a single mother apparently helped with paying taxes and getting sympathy from people when it came to getting jobs and free stuff. She also told me that for as much stress I gave her, I also made for a good stress relief."

"Nothing's more fun than I moving punching bag." her voice echoed in my head, making me shutter.

"Most of my scars are from when she was drunk." I continued. "She was the most violent when she was drunk. She'd cry sometimes though. As she would stab me or scratch me with a broken bottle she'd just cry."

"You will not be going back to her." Ms. Spencer stated sternly, her jaw clenched. She looked really angry. "I will do everything in my power to guarantee that."

"Th-thank you." I nodded.

"We'll be in town if you need us before the case." Mr. Wayne said to Wally and Wally smiled at the older man.

"Thanks Bruce."

With that, the two strangers left and Wally looked over at me.

"Lyf, you know that you're not worthless, right?" I was surprised by the question. I honestly wasn't expecting that to be the first thing out of his mouth once the others left.

"W-What?" Wally knelt down to be at eye level with me.

"What your mother did to you is horrible and I want you to know that you are not worthless." Wally stated, his voice firm and serious. I shifted back and forth on my feet.

Telling myself that I wasn't worthless was something I did every time I had the misfortune of seeing my scar. Whether or not I believed myself was a different case entirely.

"Thanks, Uncle Wally… for everything."

"You're frowning." Wally stated. "How about we change that. Are you up for some ice cream?" he inquired and I quickly smiled at him.

"That sounds great."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

After eating some ice cream (I had strawberry and I loved it) Shayera returned from wherever she went before.

"Shayera!" I smiled, hugging her tightly and she kissed me on the head and returned the hug.

"Hey, there. Sorry I was gone for a while. How was your day?" she inquired. My mind flashed back to what it was like earlier when I showed my scars to everyone. I tried pushing the thought out of my mind and quickly shrugged.

"It was alright… Uncle Wally and I ate some ice cream." Shayera looked at me, then at Wally curiously. She obviously could tell that I wasn't telling her something, which made me worried. It made me feel like I was lying to her, and I didn't want to lie. Lying always ended with a lot of pain.

"What type of ice cream did you have?" Shayera questioned, not pressing the fact that I was avoiding something.

"Strawberry." I said with a smile, feeling my dread start to ease.

Everything else went so unbelievably smoothly. We all watched a movie together, Shayera, Wally, and I. It was called Lilo and Stitch.

It was about an Alien who was very mean who met a little girl who was strange and the two become a family and the alien becomes the girl's friend when she had none and she made him a lot nicer.

I really liked that movie.

After the movie and some dinner, Wally tucked me into bed.

"Goodnight, Lyf."

"Goodnight Uncle Wally." I grinned, then drifted to sleep.

I loved this. I loved being so warm and loved and happy. It was something I could get used to very quickly, but I always had to pull myself back.

There was still the possibility of having to go back to my mother.

"Please, let my little baby come back. I miss her so much." I could see my mother pleading, tears in her eyes.

The judge sat tall and he slowly nodded his head.

"I see. Then I find the defendant not guilty. The child may be returned to her." He bellowed and I could feel my heart sink.

"W-Wait. No! She hurt me! Please I don't want to-"

"What I rule is final!" the judge exclaimed, and I felt myself get shoved into the harsh grip of my mother.

"Thank you so much your honor." My mother smiled and I tried to fight my way out of her grip.

"No! N-no! Wally! Wally help me!" I screamed desperately tears in my eyes.

I saw Wally, Shayera, Ms. Spencer, and Mr. Wayne standing only feet away. Wally shrugged.

"Sorry Lyf, but she won. There's not much else we can do." He informed and I stare at him in disbelief.

"B-but… I… I thought…"

"Well, you thought wrong, Lyf. You shouldn't have gotten so comfortable." Wally informed matter-of-factly.

"Please… p-please…" I was crying as I watched Wally and everyone leave. "Please…"

"Looks like your finally back to me, my little worthless stress relief." My mother whispered in my ear. I could feel her nails digging into my skin, drawling blood.

"No!" I then ran. I ran as fast as I could. Running as far as possible, away from everything. Away from my mother and the judge, and Ms. Spencer and Mr. Wayne, and Shayera, and Wally.

"Lyf! Lyf, wake up. Please, wake up!" I fluttered my eyes open and I saw Wally looking down at me. But I felt cold… so cold.

I looked around and I found myself in deep snow with nothing but white surrounding me.

"Wally… what… I…"

"You had a bad dream and started running in your sleep. I think we're in Antarctica right now." He informed as he lifted me up into his warm arms. With that, he sprinted back with me in his arms to his apartment.

I was back in bed and Wally was standing above me with concern.

"What was your dream about, Lyf?"

"My mother… she won. And I had to go back to her and you left and… and I just wanted to run away. It was terrible."

"I promise you that won't happen." Wally stated firmly. "Even if she miraculously wins, I won't just give up and leave you." He stated sternly.

I didn't know what to say to that. I just felt tears well up and I clutched Wally tightly, sobbing into his chest.

Wally hugged me back, stroking my hair gently, and rocking me back and forth gently. I fell asleep in his embrace and I didn't have any dreams or nightmares. Just sleep.