Soft light filtered through her eyelids, and Alex whimpered a bit before rolling over a bit.
A warm furry body cuddled against her on both sides, and another by her feet, and she couldn't help smiling in her sleepy state.
Rachel watched her daughter worriedly, seeing as she still had a wolf tail, ears, and bright hair.
She'd called Bruce once she'd made sure her daughter was still alive, and he'd been surprised to find her on the couch with Alex's head in her lap.
Alex still didn't know it, but she'd been missing for three days, worrying both of them and Harvey.
Bruce had known her before his trip to find himself, and had grown attached to the little bundle of energy that always seemed to be smiling.
To find that she'd been kidnapped had gotten him into his Batman suit faster than he ever had before…
All he'd learned was that Scarecrow had been the culprit before Alex had come home.
The two new dogs she'd brought home with her refused to leave her side, as did AJ, and neither protested.
Bruce stepped into the room, smiling at the sleeping form on the bed as her tail wagged in her sleep.
At least it would be easier to tell when she was happy…
"Has she woken up yet?"
"Almost…"
Rachel sighed, but her face lit up a moment later to see Alex stretching…
"Mommy?"
"Allie, are you feeling alright?"
"Alright? I feel great!"
The girl smiled, unknowingly showing silver fangs before she yawned and stretched.
"Uncle Bruce?" She wondered, using the name she'd given him as a child.
"Yeah, it's me Alex."
He smiled, ruffling her hair as her ears laid back.
"Whoa, was I really gone that long?"
"Three days." Rachel admitted, holding her daughter's hand as Alex sat up.
AJ woke up then, shifting to nuzzle her owner's side and seemed to say something.
"I didn't know…"
She seemed to feel guilty, and squeezed her mother's hand.
"I'm sorry…I didn't think…"
"What happened to you, Alex?" Bruce wondered.
"He said something about experiments…Making a superhuman or something…"
Her brow furrowed…
"I think he did something after mixing my DNA with a wolf or something…I'm not sure…"
The black-furred dog raised his head, seeming to say something before once again resting his head on his paws.
"He says that I got enhanced capabilities or something…"
Her ear twitched a bit towards the dogs as the other stayed pointed at the two humans in the room, and Bruce realized she could talk with both species.
"I know I can break metal with my bare hands and I can run faster, but I think that's it…Besides my hearing and my sense of smell…"
Her eyes turned worried…
"How am I supposed to go to school like this, mom?"
Rachel really didn't know…
This was so strange, she didn't know how to handle the situation…
Should she even tell Harvey?
"If you need to, you can stay with me until you figure something out."
Both Dawes women looked up at Bruce in surprise, but Alex's eyes lit up, the color of her eyes brightening.
"Really? I wouldn't want to be a problem…"
"If it's alright with you, Rachel."
"I'll figure something out in a few days, I promise. Pack up your things, Allie."
"Alright…"
Standing from the bed, Alex went around to grab some things as the white dog barked.
"Don't get started…I'm looking for something nice…"
Rachel pulled her childhood friend out of the room as Alex grabbed clothes to change into, intent on explaining all of the things needed to take care of her daughter.
Alex pulled on a blue tank top and baggy cargo pants, hiding her tail before grabbing her favorite baseball cap.
Finding a short leather jacket that she hadn't yet worn and a grey tank top with a white crescent moon, she folded them into a bag she kept in the closet.
A ruffled skirt, with layers inside, hung in her face then, and she looked at it skeptically.
The outside was black, the inside shades of grey, and white shorts also caught her attention with knee-high black boots.
Shrugging, she put them in the bag as well before grabbing other clothes and underclothes.
Pulling on her tennis shoes, she turned to the three dogs atop her bed.
"Well, it looks like you two are staying with me after all…So you'll need names!"
Smiling, she looked at the ceiling in thought…
"How about…Blizzard."
She pointed to the white, dark-eyed husky…
"And…Midnight!"
Both seemed to agree, and her smile widened as she hefted her bag onto her shoulder and headed out into the living room.
"We're ready." She stated.
"Alfred's waiting outside. Come on, Alex."
Hugging Rachel, Alex said her goodbyes and promises to stay safe as she followed Bruce out of the apartment.
'I guess this won't be so bad…After all, I'll be staying in Uncle Bruce!'
Her ears perked under her hat, and she almost started skipping.
'What could go wrong?'