A/N: LESS THAN A MONTH UNTIL THE DARK KNIGHT RISES COMES OUT! WOHOO! EVERYBODY CELEBRATE! (Does drunk giraffe) I warn you; this is a bit of a filler chapter and not my longest one. However, the next chapter will likely be my longest and darkest chapter yet. I'm also going to publish the first chapter of "Nine Months of the Bat", which is the story about the Jenna's life during the nine months between Batman Begins and the Dark Knight. Anyway, enjoy and please leave a review!
The Gordons
"WHAT? WHAT THE HELL YOU MEAN YOU WERE ATTACKED?" Bruce shouted. Jenna flinched. This was as scary as the Batman to her.
"Some guys ambushed Danny and I behind the school. We're fine."
"That doesn't mean that they won't do it again." Bruce took a deep breath. "Jenna… have you considered private–"
"NO! NO NO NO NO NO! I'M NEVER GOING TO PRIVATE SCHOOL AND NOTHING YOU CAN EVER SAY OR DO WILL CONVINCE ME TO DO OTHERWISE!"
"Ok, ok. I just wanted to ask. I don't want you to get hurt." Jenna chuckled a bit.
"Bruce, I more or less survived the Joker and Scarecrow, as well as my own uncle pulling a gun on me. I think I can survive public high school."
Things went back to normal. Well… at least as normal as they can be with an ex-vigilante as your guardian. Danny moved in with her cousin and she and Jenna became good friends with Helena Bertinelli. Jenna was currently occupying the couch, watching the news. Her cell phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hey Jenna, it's Jimmy," Jimmy Gordon said.
"Hey Jimmy! How is everything? How's Babs doing?"
"I'm fine," a little voice piped up in the background and Jenna smiled.
"Good. So, to what do I owe this honor?"
"Mom and Dad are fighting again." Jenna's smile slipped off her face. She got up and walked to her room, closing the door behind her.
"Are you kids alright?"
"We're fine."
"What's going on? What are they fighting about?"
"The usual; how Dad's not home like he should be, how Mom feels so alone, and how she thinks we should leave Gotham." Jenna nodded sadly. Jim and Barbara had been fighting ever since the Harvey Dent incident. Jenna tried acting as mediator between the two of them when she could, but seeing as how she didn't live with them, it was a difficult job to say the least.
"What do you kids think?"
"Dad doesn't want to go; and we don't wanna leave you and Dad and all our friends."
"Are you guys happy right now though?" Silence.
"No."
"And why is that?"
"… Dad's never home anymore and when he is, all he and Mom do is shout, and the kids at school make fun of the Batman, even though he's really the good guy, and–"
"It's hard keeping your mouth shut, isn't it?"
"… Yeah." There was a pause.
"Do you guys think you'd be happier if you left?"
"… Yeah. But we don't wanna leave Dad."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"You'd do that?"
"Of course."
"Thanks."
"Anything for you guys."
"Babs says she wants to talk to you alone."
"Ok. Talk to you later Jimmy."
"Hey Jenna," came little Babs Gordon's voice.
"Hey Babs. How's my favorite little sister?"
"I'm fine."
"So, what do you wanna talk about?"
"… Do you think my Daddy loves me?" Jenna froze at the sudden and serious question.
"He loves you very much Babs, why would you ask something like that?" Jenna asked, somewhat alarmed.
"… When the bad guy was threatening us, he said he was going to hurt the person Daddy loved the most, and he picked Jimmy. Does that mean he doesn't love me?"
"Babs, your Daddy loves you very much and he does his very best to keep you and your family safe and happy, even if it's sometimes not enough. Don't you ever forget that."
"But he doesn't love me as much as Jimmy?"
"I can't speak for your father Babs. But he loves you so very much... tell you what, I'll ask him about that when I talk to him. Ok?"
"Thanks Jenna."
"Anything for my favorite sister."
"So, I hear you've been getting into fights at school," Jim said, looking at Jenna. The two of them were currently at a laser tag and arcade place, waiting for Barbara and the kids to get back with the pizza.
"I hear you've been getting into fights with Barbara," Jenna shot right back. Jim frowned and looked down.
"Who told you?"
"The kids. They've been calling me when you two start fighting because they need someone to comfort them." Jim looked away guiltily. "They said that Barbara wants to leave Gotham and you want to stay." Jim nodded. "Why?"
"Several reasons. We've made our lives here, things are starting to get better, and running from problems never solves anything."
"I don't know. Sometimes it's better to run than fight a battle you know you can never win."
"Then why you stay in public school despite the fact you can afford a private one now?" Jim replied.
"My friends are at my public school and the only kids at private schools are the future bloodsucking businessmen and witless wives of Gotham's upper class. I'd rather get locked up in Arkham than go to a private school." Jim chuckled. "But back to your problems, have you thought about how this is affecting your family? Barbara, Jimmy, and Babs? Because I don't think they feel happy or safe here." Jim frowned. "Look, I love them, but it's for that reason that I can stand to see them stay in a place where they aren't happy. And considering how much you and Barbara fight and how much Jimmy and Babs have been calling me, I'd say they aren't happy." There was a brief pause, where there was no noise other than the dozens of games and the shouts of delight from other children in the background. "Babs asked me if you love Jimmy more than her." Jim looked at Jenna. "I told her you love her very much but that I couldn't speak on your behalf and that I'd ask you. So?" Jim sighed.
"I love Babs and Jimmy very much and I try not to treat them different or to pick favorites. But-"
"It's hard not to sometimes?" Jim nodded reluctantly. "I won't reprimand you for it. But you need to show Babs that you love her every bit as much as Jimmy. She doesn't deserve to feel like second best." Jim nodded. Jimmy, Babs, and Barbara Gordon then came over, carrying the pizza and drinks. Jenna and the Gordons spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and having fun together, forgetting about all their problems for that one short day.