Sorry i have some writers block and things are starting to get busy again. Please enjoy and tell me what you think :)

L.L.A.P

~Laces

Chpt.15

Athena was silent throughout the ride back to Mt. Justice. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her ear was on Conner's chest, listening to his heartbeat. It soothed her, and confirmed that he was real. Not to mention, she was afraid that if she did open her eyes, she'd be in the arms of Ra's and not Conner.

Conner gently rubbed her back. He could feel her shaking, and was trying to get her to calm down. He wanted to ask her what Ra's did to her during her stay, but he didn't want to bring up the topic at the moment. He was sure that that was one of the last things Athena wanted to talk about.

The jet slowed down and landed on the top of Mt. Justice. Conner jumped out of the cockpit along with Batman, and continued to hold Athena.

"Superboy, give Athena to me. I need to talk to her." Batman stated, and despite Conner's reluctance, the clone gently passed the girl to Batman, who she clutched onto equally as tight. Batman shot him a look, and Conner ran downstairs to tell the team that they were able to rescue Athena, giving Batman some privacy with the girl.

"Athena, what happened?" Batman questioned, and the girl looked down at the ground. However, unlike Ra's, Batman did nothing to reprimand her for her silence.

"Did he hurt you?" he questioned with concern.

"N-no. Well, not physically." She informed in a small voice.

"Physically? What other way did he hurt you, Athena?" he inquired in a soft voice.

"He told me…" Athena's shaking seemed to increase as tears streaked her face. "He t-told me that you were all in my head. That I imagined all of you caring for me. That I had mental problems. That I was crazy." Athena looked so scared. "I don't want to be crazy, Batman. But… am I?" she inquired, and Batman shook his head.

"No. No you are not crazy, Athena. You are just… trying to adjust from what you have come from. I can only imagine what you went through while at Cadmus, but in all scenarios, it is hard to simply walk away from years of living in such a horrible place like it was nothing." Batman took in a deep breath.

"Athena, I know you enjoy it here, but I want you to live with me." he informed. "I promise you that you can visit here whenever you want, I have a transporter in my batcave that goes from there to here."

"But, why…"

"Ra's knows where you live, Athena. I don't want you to still be in danger if you live here." Batman explained, and Athena looked hesitant.

"But… Conner…"

"I'll make sure that you can still see him. You can still spend your days here, but I just want you to be living someplace safer, that Ra's Al Ghul doesn't know about." Batman explained.

"I don't like that man." Athena whispered, thinking of Ra's Al Ghul, who tormented her with mental warfare, making her feel scared and helpless.

"Not many people do." Batman informed gently. Athena sighed, and questioned in a small voice,

"So… I will still be able to see Conner? And everyone else?" Batman nodded.

"Yes." Batman understood how this was most likely very rough for her, considering she was just kidnapped and now he was trying to get her to move. He just didn't want Ra's to get to her again.

"Do you promise that I will still be able to see them?" Athena questioned seriously.

"I promise." Batman affirmed, and Athena looked down at her feet.

"Okay. I'll go." She whispered and Batman wrapped his arms around the girl.

"I'm sorry, Athena." he whispered, and the girl didn't reply. She only hugged him back, burying her head in his chest.

Batman carried the girl downstairs, where all the team was waiting for her.

Cassie quickly took the girl out of Batman's hands and was hugging her tightly.

"We missed you so much!" she exclaimed, and Athena smiled when she saw all of the team.

"I missed you all too." She informed.

Conner walked over to Batman while the team was talking to her.

"Athena is going to live with me." Batman stated before the clone could say anything. "I promised her that she can visit here whenever she wants, but she will be living with me. I can't risk Ra's getting her again, now that he knows where she lives." He explained. Conner wanted to protest, but he saw Batman's reasoning and knew that it was for Athena's good.

"She has developed several abilities." Conner informed, and Batman gave him a look that demanded more answers. "When I went to get her out of the room that Ra's Al Ghul had her in, I was attacked by one of Ra's' men. He was about to stab me, but Athena just… I don't know. She pushed him away similar to M'gann's telekinesis. And she was floating."

"What happened afterwards?" Batman questioned.

"She seemed scared. She thought I was mad at her and kept saying sorry, and I had to pull her down from the air." Conner explained, and looked over at Athena with a small frown. "I don't think she knows how to control what she does."

"We'll help her with that." Batman stated. "But we'll take it slow. Ra's was talking to me, and he was right. She is not a failed project."

"Do you think she'll get more abilities?" Conner questioned, looking over at Batman.

"Most likely. We will simply just have to be ready for anything with her." Batman informed. Just then Athena started to float again, above her team mates and M'gann flew up and gently pulled her back down.

"I-I'm sorry." She informed. "I don't know how that happens."

"It's alright, Athena." Conner said with a small smile, walking over to Athena. "It's just something we'll need to work on."

~*~*~*~*~The Next Day~*~*~*~*~

Athena held her two suitcases that held her cloths, books, music, wig and contacts. She knew that she would still be able to visit Mt. Justice, but she was nervous what it would be like where Batman lived.

She had said her goodbyes to everyone, even La'gaan, who still seemed to care less about her.

She was expecting to go through the transporter to Batman's house alone. Batman had informed her that he was not going to be able to go with her through the transporter due to a job he had. One that involved his secret identity. However, Dick stood in front of the transporter, waiting for her.

"Nii-san, are you coming with me?" she inquired, tilting her head. Dick smiled at the name, and Athena reviewed the sentence in her mind and tried to fix herself. "I mean, Nightwing…"

"It's alright. I like Nii-san." He informed, giving the girl a big hug. "And yes, I'm coming with you, but Super Papa wants to say good bye to you first."

Conner shot a glare at Dick as he walked up to Athena.

"Can you quit calling me that?" he grumbled, but before Dick could say anything, Athena engulfed Conner in a hug.

"I'm going to miss you." She said in a quiet voice. "very much." She added. Conner hugged her but smiled,

"You'll still visit right? This isn't going to be the last time we see each other."

"I'll still miss you." Athena sighed and Conner pulled gently away from the hug and looked the girl in the eye.

"I'll miss you too, but this is for the better, alright? You'll be safer there." Conner smiled, and Athena nodded, then looked over at Dick.

"I'll be back soon." She said with a small smile, and then grasped Dick's hand, walking into the transporter with him.

Next thing the young girl new, she found herself in a cave with high-tech equipment, a large computer and cases of costumes and objects.

"Here we are." Dick smiled, and Athena's eyes glanced over everything.

"It's very dark." Athena informed, and Dick shook his head.

"Don't worry, this is only the Batcave, it's underneath the Manor." Dick shrugged as he gently pulled Athena to the staircase, and she followed him up to a doorway she didn't see and it led into a large living room.

Once Athena and Dick were inside the room, a grandfather clock closed behind them.

"Wow." Athena whispered, looking at how spacious the room was.

A man then entered the room and smiled kindly at the girl, and gave a small bow.

"I presume that this is Miss Athena?" the man questioned with a British accent.

"Yeah, Alfred. This is Athena. Athena, this is Alfred, the best butler in the galaxy." Dick smiled, but was being completely serious.

"It's great to meet you." Athena grinned, looking up at the man, who replied,

"It is a pleasure meeting you as well." The man's eyes then went to her bags. "I will carry your bags, and show you to your room." Alfred informed, lifting up the suit cases.

"Thank you, Sir." Athena grinned, but then looked over at Dick when he wasn't following them.

"You follow Alfred up without me, Athena. I gotta get out of this suit into more comfortable cloths." He shrugged.

Athena nodded and followed Alfred up giant stairs into a long wide hall way. Everything looked so beautiful and decorative, almost like Ra's home. However, the Manor had large windows which let in plenty of sunlight, making it a brighter place.

Alfred led her to a room with a nice bed, a desk, a bookshelf, and, best of all, giant windows that let the sunlight in, brightening everything.

"Master Bruce informed me that you would enjoy this room." Alfred stated, and Athena looked up at the butler confused.

"I do like the room, but who's Bruce?" she inquired.

"Terribly sorry for any misunderstanding." Alfred apologized. "I believe you know him as Batman."

"Batman's name is Bruce?" she inquired, and the man nodded. Athena never considered the fact that Batman's name wasn't really Batman. It just never occurred to her.

Alfred placed her suitcases next to her bed and inquired,

"Is there anything I could get you, Miss Athena?" The girl shook her head.

"No thank you, Sir." Athena smiled, then opened her suit case and placed Ralph on the pillow of her bed. She then took out her wig and contacts and placed them on the nightstand near the bed.

"Miss, you do not need to unpack now. Would you like to look around the Manor?" Alfred questioned. Just then, Dick popped his head into the room.

"I can give her the tour." He said happily. He was out of his Nightwing costume, in a blue t-shirt and navy blue sweatpants.

"Why don't you run along with Master Richard? I will unpack the rest of your belongings." Alfred informed with a smile, and before Athena could respond, Dick pulled her out of the room with excitement.

Dick started babbling off places to go in the giant building, and Athena was having trouble keeping her head straight. There were so many places in the Manor!

They then reached the living room that Athena had stepped into when she first came to the Manor. however, she hadn't noticed the painting of a man and a women in the room before.

"Who are they?" Athena inquired, looking up at the picture, and Dick followed her gaze.

"That's Bruce's parents." He informed in a somber voice. "They were killed when he was very young." Athena frowned.

"That is very sad. Does he miss them?" she inquired.

"Very much, and it's a really touchy subject with him." Dick said as he grasped Athena's hand and started to take her back to her room, the tour now over.

Once in her room, Athena noticed that everything was neatly put away, and Alfred was gone, tidying up another room.

"Nii-san, can I tell you something?" Athena said in a low voice, sitting on the bed, and Dick sat next to her.

"Sure, Athena. Anything." He gave her a comforting smile, and Athena took in a deep breath.

"I'm… I don't know how to explain it. Like, I feel like there it a pit in my stomach, and an ache in my heart. I miss Conner and everyone, and I miss Mt. Justice, but it feels like a huge feeling of missing rather than… a regular missing feeling…" Athena sighed. "It's hard to explain."

"You're homesick." Dick informed, ruffling her hair.

"Homesick?" she questioned, never remembering hearing the term before.

"Yeah. I was homesick my first few months here. But it gets better. Besides, tomorrow we'll go on a visit to Mt. Justice for a few hours. It won't be that bad."

Dick hugged Athena tightly, and Athena smiled, but the frowned.

"What's wrong?" Dick inquired.

"I'm not used to new feelings, I guess you could say. When I was with Ra's Al Ghul, I had a very bad dream. I was being told what I was feeling, and it was all true. I feel scared, lost, confused, and a bit… alone." She sighed. "I don't mean to feel these things, and I shouldn't, yet I do." Her eyes widened and she looked up at Dick. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No. No. No." Dick shook his head, hugging her tightly. "There is nothing wrong with you. Everyone has times when they feel like this. Sure, they are usually older, but you are very mature for your age." Dick gave her an encouraging smile. "Just know that you have tons of people who care for you, and we'll always be there to help you out."

Athena smiled happily, but started to float again. Dick quickly grabbed her hands, but she was like a balloon, her feet now in the air.

"Dick…" she started in a panicked voice, but the man smiled up at her.

"Hey, it's okay, I got you." He said soothingly as he placed his hand on Athena's back and pushed her feet back under her, and pulled her down.

"Dick, I can't turn it off." Athena informed as she looked down and noticed she was still floating and was only staying close to the ground due to Dick's grip on her.

"It's alright, we'll figure it out. Just take in a deep breath and calm down." Dick said calmly, and Athena did as he said, taking in a deep breath. When she exhaled, she found herself floating back down to the ground and gravity took full effect and she was resting on the bed again.

"Thank you Nii-san!" she exclaimed happily, however, she started to float again. She sighed and calmed herself down, lowering herself down to the ground again.

"So flight is triggered by emotion." A voice muttered from the doorway. Athena looked up to where the voice originated to see a tall muscular man with bright blue eyes and short black hair.

Athena gripped onto Dick's arm tightly, but relaxed when she noticed Dick smiling.

"Hey Bruce." He grinned, and Athena looked at the man with shock.

"Bruce… you mean…"

"How do you like the Manor, Athena?" Bruce questioned in his deep voice. Athena never would have thought Batman had hair or anything like this. She was so used to the cowl.

"It's great." Athena answered. Bruce grinned and walked fully into the room.

"Green Lantern, John Stewart, said he was going to be over at Mt. Justice tomorrow to meet you." He informed, and Athena smiled.

Maybe things weren't going to be very different after all. And if her flight abilities weren't so hard to control, the others would be easy to get a handle of… right?