Thanks for the heads up, Guest. I never would have caught that in the previous chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice! I only own my OC's! All rights go to their respective owners.

Gotham City

August 26th, 1:34 am.

Chapter 4: Day 2

"Mom," Jackie exclaimed as she ran over to her mother's hospital bed and hugged her tight.

"Jackie," her mother breathed out. "Don't squeeze me too tight; I don't think my broken ribs can handle it."

The teen let her go and held her mom's broken wrist gently. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Her mother smiled. "Of course I am; it's just a few broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a concussion; I can handle it."

Jackie smiled. She was worried sick when the officer told her that a teenager crashed into her mother because they were texting while driving. The officer didn't know if her mother was alright or not, so he offered to drive Jackie to the hospital to make sure she was okay.

"I'm more worried about that other driver," her mother whispered. "Before we crashed, I caught a glimpse of her face, and she looked to be in her mid-teens. I think she has more injuries than I do."

"Do you want me to find out?" Jackie asked.

"No, I don't want you to do that. I'll ask the doctor when he comes in."

"Ask me what?"

Both the teen and her mother looked over to the doorway to see a man in his early forties wearing a doctor's coat with a stethoscope wrapped around his neck, and he was carrying a clipboard in his hand.

"Jackie, this is Doctor Richardson; he's my boss," Jennifer introduced, smiling.

"Hello," Jackie timidly greeted and smiled.

"Hello, Jackie," he greeted and walked over to them. "How are you feeling, Jennifer?"

"I'm alright, but I'm more concerned about the girl," her mom responded.

Doctor Richardson nodded. "She's in critical condition, but we believe she's going to be alright."

"What about her family?"

"They're on their way," he informed.

Her mother sighed. "How old is she?"

"Sixteen, at least."

"What's her name?"

"Madeline Woods."

"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me what her injuries are."

"No, I won't; it would only upset you."

"I understand," her mother replied. "Is she awake?"

He shook his head. "She's still unconscious."

"When she does wake up, tell her I'm not pressing any charges."

Jackie stared at her mother in astonishment. "Of course," the doctor replied. "Let me know if you need anything."

As soon as he left the room, Jackie voiced her concerns. "Why aren't you pressing charges?" she asked eagerly. "She crashed into you! She hurt you! You should be-"

"Jackie," her mother spoke sternly, making the teen stop talking. She sighed and held both of her daughter's hands. "This young girl doesn't deserve to have charges pressed against her."

"But why?"

"Because I don't want to kick someone who is already down," she replied. "By the time she wakes up, she's going to lose her license, she's probably going to be in a lot of pain, and the media and the police are going to be all over her. I don't want to add onto her burdens."

Jackie sighed. "Okay," she muttered.

"I don't want you to add onto them either. Understand?"

"Yes, Mom."

Her mother smiled. "Good," she whispered and kissed her daughter's hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm just worried about you."

"I know, but I'm going to be okay, alright?"

The teenager nodded and hugged her gently, which she returned. "Why don't you go home?" her mother whispered. "You have school tomorrow."

Jackie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "School is the least of my concerns right now."

"Well, it shouldn't be. You're graduating this year, Jackie, and I want you to make the most of your high school career. For example, you should be hanging out with that boy you were telling me about; it's not like you're going to see him in class next year since you'll be in college."

"Or a University," Jackie muttered. "I'd rather miss school than not being here with you."

"Well, I'd rather have you go to school than being bored here and doing nothing with me," her mother insisted as she stared her daughter down.

"But, Mom-"

"You have to go to school."

Jackie sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll go, even though I don't want to."

Jennifer smiled. "That's my girl," she whispered and patted her daughters hand. "Now go home and get some sleep, so you can pay attention to your teachers tomorrow."

The blonde-haired teen nodded and hugged her mother one more time before leaving the hospital. She ran up to Officer Clinton and explained her mother's condition. He sighed in relief and offered to take her home, which she replied yes to.

Once the seventeen-year old was home, she walked over to her bedroom and sat down on her bed. She made sure her phone wasn't on silent in case the hospital called her to tell her that her mom needed her. She rested her head against her pillow and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about her mom, Batman's offer, and that teen that hurt her mother. She sighed and turned over on her side to try to get comfortable, but, for some reason, she could not.

"I heard about your mom."

She jumped and quickly sat up to see Batman standing in the doorway. She let out a breath of relief and looked at him with a glare. "Don't do that; I can't handle another scare tonight," she spoke.

"I know," he replied and walked over to stand by her bedside. "How's your mother?"

"Lucky; she has a concussion, a broken wrist, and a few broken ribs. Whereas the teenage girl that hit my mom is in worst condition," Jackie informed and looked down. "My mom's not pressing charges."

"Madeline's lucky then."

She looked up at him. "You knew who hit her?"

"Yes," he replied and looked at Jackie's drawings taped to the wall behind her bed. "Robin and I pulled both your mom, and Madeline, out of the wreck before the news crews arrived."

"Oh," she whispered and pulled the covers over her legs as he looked back at her. "Are you here just to talk about the accident, or are you here to talk about my decision too?"

"I do want to know what your thoughts are on joining the Team, but if you don't want to-"

"No," she interrupted. "I want to talk to someone about it, and I was going to tell my mom what my thoughts were, but she's not going to be out of the hospital for a while."

"Then talk."

She folded her hands in her lap. "If I do join the Team, how can I learn to trust them? What about my identity? What if I don't want them to know who I am or what my past is?" she asked and then looked at him with wide eyes when a thought came to her. "You haven't told them about me, have you?"

"No," he replied. "I haven't."

She sighed in relief and nodded. "Okay, and my other questions?"

"I can ask Black Canary to help you move on from your past; she's like the Team's counselor, or therapist."

"That didn't answer any of my questions."

"Yes, it did," he spoke gravely. "You asked me how you can learn to trust the Team, and I believe you need help moving on from your past in order to do that."

"Oh," she muttered and looked back at her hands. "What about my identity? I don't want them to know who I am."

"Wear a mask."

"Where am I going to get a mask?"

"I might be able to help with that, but only if you want to join the Team."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Any more questions?"

"What if the Team doesn't like me?" she asked, barely below a whisper.

"What makes you think they won't like you, Miss Holloway?"

She shrugged. To her, there were so many reasons why the Team wouldn't like her; her hair, eyes, powers, strength, clothes, her father, her past, the way she talks, the way she eats, her hobbies, her job, the school she goes to-

"Miss, Holloway?"

She blinked and looked at Batman, who was staring down at her. "Yeah?"

"You zoned out of reality for a few minutes."

She looked down. "Sorry; I do that a lot."

"I see," he replied. "Black Canary can help with that."

"What makes her any different than any other therapist I've seen?"

"You'll listen to her."

She scoffed and glared at her hands even though it was directed to him. "I've listened to my therapists in the past!"

"If you did, you would be recovering instead of hurting."

Her glare softened as she realized he was right; she never wanted to pay attention to any therapist that her mother made her go to because she always thought they never understood her. "What makes you think she'll understand what I'm going through?"

"She's a very considerate person; she'll understand you and give you the advice that you need to hear."

She hummed. "You sound pretty confident in her."

"I know she can help you."

"That's what my mom said about the other therapists," she muttered.

He crossed his arms. "Then maybe you should listen to your mother."

She sighed and rested her head on her hands. "I do listen to her."

"Not when the subject is therapy."

She sighed again. "Fine, whatever, I'll listen to Black Canary."

"You sound like you want to join the Team."

Her eyes widened; she didn't realize she was talking herself into joining the Team the more questions Batman answered. She groaned; she didn't like this; these people could hurt her just like her last group of friends, and her father.

"You still have another day to decide," he continued and laid a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. "After that day, though, I'll need your answer."

She nodded at him. "Okay," she replied in a whisper. "Thanks."

He nodded and took his hand back as he walked over to her bedroom door. He turned back to face her and stared at her. "Don't worry about closing your kitchen window; I'll close it after I jump out of it," he assured and left before she could reply to him.

She rubbed a hand down her face in pure exhaustion and looked at her clock that it was now two-thirty in the morning! She groaned and laid down, hoping she would fall asleep.

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