Just telling you now, summer has not been good to me :/ I hope you'll enjoy this chapter because I've been working hard on it :) I also want to say thank you to the people that have read and reviewed on this story :D Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice :CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

The Daughter's Diary

Chapter 4: May My Chimes Hear Me

Lightning went around the house. A sweet little girl woke up all pale in the face from the loud noise. Everything was dark and the only thing seen was the loneliness of the room. She tries to call out for the two people she loves, but her throat was raspy and she could barely speak, "Mommy...Daddy.."

There were no answers. Her little voice wanted to scream again for freedom, but her voice was getting weaker and weaker every time her dainty mouth tried to let words come out. A normal person would be scared, but she's been trained before. Sometimes secretly with her uncles. Fear is not an option. She grabbed all the muster she had and tried to walk off the bed.

Weak kneed, her legs trembled. The ground felt like ice cold marble and gravity seemed like the highest priority in her mind. The next option she had was crawling. Only a 4 year old bat would be so determined to find every option she has without giving up. Only her.

The little girl tries to grab the doorknob and open the door, but it's locked. Her weary hands banged on the door while tears formed in her eyes, "Help!"

Suddenly the doors opens upon the 4 year old's eyes, "Welcome," he smiled, "Maris."

Her eyes blinked multiple times. The nightmares keeps coming back to her brain and she just can't help it at all. Sometimes she thinks they're unforgotten memories. While she looks around, she notices the new furniture that surrounded her. It wasn't that hard to figure out that she was in an interrogation room. Maris was laid down on a couch in front of a table with opposite chairs facing each other.

The smooth skin of the uncomfortable metallic chair was touched upon her gentle hands. Maris looks around, but no one was there. She didn't even know the conversation being said behind the cameras.

Dick Grayson looked at the young girl through the screen, "The test might be wrong."

The dark knight looks at his son, "Either the computer is wrong or you're scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared to find out the real truth. Scared to accept that she really isn't dead, but alive and breathing."

He clenched his knuckles, "If I didn't believe that, then I would've given up trying to find her."

They both looked at the girl, "Well, you found her."

Richard slammed his fist on the monitors, "I'm going to interrogate her."

Bruce didn't stop him or anything. This was Dick's case and his daughter. Nightwing swallowed his throat before he opened the doors to the interrogation room. Maris suddenly stood up straight. Nightwing tried his best to give her a smile to warm her down, "It's okay, it's just me."

She nodded slightly, "Where's Artemis?"

He sits on one of the chairs that was opposite to her, "She has her own family to take care of. You can sit down."

"No, I-I want to stand."

"Okay, so what' your name again?"

"Maris..."

The oldest bird raised an eyebrow, "Lastname?"

"I don't have any."

"Okay, ummm," he tried to think of another question to ask, "what do you like doing?"

"Do I have to answer these questions?"

Nightwing looks at her and he gave her a smile, but it wasn't fake at all, "It'll help you, I promise."

She nodded slowly, "I mostly train."

"Is that what Cadmus makes you do all the time?"

"Yes, but I like doing other stuff, too."

She gave him a smile as he asks, "What's that?"

"I like to write."

The vigilante slowly looked down at the table, "And what do you mostly...uhh write about?"

"Well," she plays her fingers on the table, "anything, but I kind of like writing in third person because it's sort of fun that way."

He nods as if he understands, "I can tell you're a smart girl."

"Cadmus teaches lots of subjects."

Nightwing nods again, "What other stuff has Cadmus done to you?"

She bites her lower lip, "I don't want to talk about it."

"The answers can help you."

Pain and sorrow were seen upon her blue eyes, "I don't want to talk about it."

He looks at her with a hollowed face, "I understand."

...

Nightwing brings Maris to one of the comfortable sleeping rooms. He definitely felt the tingle in his hands when he touched her. Even though his leather gloves were in between the flesh of their skins, it felt like this wasn't their first encounter before. Even she felt it. Although, other things have to be done first.

She fell instantly asleep on the bed. A tiring day deserves an abundance of precious sleep. Dick knows what he has to do. Looking at the girl who has black hair and fair skin with blue eyes that were once open reminded him of a certain magician that he fell in love with. And he still is.

He's introspecting Maris in thinking if she really is his daughter. If she really is the one that he's fed a bottle to when she was only a few months old. If she really is the little girl he gives piggy back rides every time he would come home. If she really is the same little girl that would never break her pinky promises to him. If she's Mary Ella, then he doesn't know what kind of a dad he is anymore.

Dick turned off the lights as he heard her breathing. His hand fumbled around the light switch while his eyes were still trailed upon her dainty body. He went to Batman to tell him that he had to do something first. To tell someone, more likely.

Changing into civvies really fast was a convenience in this moment. He walks to the Zeta Tube into the streets of Gotham City.

...

Zatanna's looking at her reflection through the mirror while she puts on makeup. The magician hears a knock behind her, "The door's open."

He comes inside slowly as his face became invisible in the background of Zatanna's mirror. The ebony haired woman instantly saw his handsome face and froze. When she noticed that she ceased her actions, she went back to powdering her face again.

"Hey, Zee," he leaned himself on the door, "sorry I missed your show."

She grabbed the jacket on the chair, "Don't worry, it was just the same old show."

Dick sighed as his back parted from the door, "Look, I'm here for..."

She interrupted him, "Another help for the league?"

"Well, no."

Zatanna's jacket was already on her shoulder frame while she puts her hand on her hip, "Really?"

"Yeah," then he hesitantly say, "I think I found Mary Ella."

Zatanna's body started to feel weak. Her fingers felt numb. She tried to see with her blue eyes the truth in his humanity because they both know that she has always been the hardest subject of all. Zatanna blinks her eyes multiple times, "You're...you're lying."

He swallowed hard from her reaction, "No..."

"Just stop!" She held her hands up.

His eyes turned red again from all the hard configurations in his mind, "I said I might..."

"Dick, just stop. We've been through this. I don't want to have my hopes up for nothing."

He sat down to a near chair and covered his face with his hand, "I'm trying really hard, Zee."

She wipes her left eye before any tears would come out, "I'm trying hard, too."

They both got dead silent until Zatanna slumped down on a chair across him, "I loose a lot of the people I love," she looks at him, "I keep trying to make myself forget, but Mary was someone I could never forget. She's part of my flesh and blood."

Richard gets up from his seat and motions towards Zatanna. He kneeled down to her and touched her hand, "I know."

Zatanna didn't say anything. He kissed her gently on the lips. Their old passion for one another was never lost. He loved it and she loved it. The feeling of complete intensity between one another was at whole. Their tongues lingered for more. Their lips came to a halt when Dick said, "Zatanna, I still love you."

She gave him a lightly smile, "I love you too."

His smile got bigger, "Does that mean you're coming with me to the watch tower?"

Dick helps her stand up. Zatanna asks, "For what?"

"To meet Ella."

Zatanna frowned instantly while her breath got heavier, "Why."

He noticed how she paused, "Don't you believe me?"

"But it's been 6 years."

"Yeah, and she finally came back home."

"No. No, I have to go now," Zatanna quickly moves out of the way and out of the room. Leaving Dick alone.

...

"She's still in denial."

Dick's head was down on the work table, "I know, I hate it."

Batman was still working on his duties as Bruce Wayne in the late hours, "What're you going to do with Maris?"

The acrobat rubbed his face and then jumbled his hair, "I guess...I could..."

"Take her home." The dark night finished his old proteges sentence.

He nodded slowly while he looks down at the batcave's floor, "I just might."

Damian appeared from the shadows, "Who?"

Dick gave him a little smirk, "You'll figure out soon."

"Or I could figure out now."

The first Robin shrugged, "Maybe."

Damian rolled his eyes, "Just go home Grayson."

"I am," he ruffles the youngest Robin, "night Dami."

...

Nightwing didn't show any heartbreak facial expressions while he went through the watch tower. He brought a smile on his face and went straight to his quarter. He opens the code for his door. Laying on his soft bed was the little girl. Maris was covered in blankets while she slept soundly in her cuddled formation. Once he entered, the door had shut instantly as he went by her side. He caressed her soft hair as a smile was widely open from cheek to cheek.

Although, Maris woke up from a fright and sat up instantly, "Where am I?!"

"Somewhere safe."

She looked around, "Here?"

He could tell how confusing that would be. All his gadgets where just fumbled around on the top shelves while some where on his work table. A minute getting back into parenthood and he already failed by putting all the weapons in reach near a 10 year old. Nightwing tried have a mental note with himself to make it more safer, "Do you trust me?"

"You?" she queried.

He nodded, "Me. I'm going to be your guardian, until further notice."

Maris tried to look through the mask and the costume. In her eyes, he looked like an ordinary guy, so she shrugged, "Umm okay, but promise you won't hurt me?"

"I won't," he held out his pinky, "pinky promise?"

Maris looked at him weird, "Pinky promise?"

"Yeah," he joined his pinky with hers, "why? Haven't done it with anyone before?"

"No, not really."

Nightwing only nodded, "You can go back to sleep and I'll just carry you."

She didn't hesitate or anything. Maris crawled into Nightwing's arms while she was still cuddled into the blanket. Her head nested on his shoulders. There were some league members who were still up and they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Nightwing holding this cute innocent little girl in his arms in the Watchtower. His feet went straight to the Zeta Tube. He sort of enjoyed the gaps in their mouths being drawn upon his fellow teammates as he walked by.

There was a zeta tube that was really close to his house. Both of them were already out of the alleyway, as they entered the gates of the Grayson resident. Maris still held close to her new guardian. Her weary eyes opened about an inch as they walked on the front porch. The only thing she could hear was the sound of the wind chime.

I know lots of people would still want to kill me, but I'm dying with you! I love chalant all the way too, but I promise that there will be a happy ending. I swear to my pen name! And I know the chapter was long, but I have everything planned out on my notes so yeah it turned to this XD

But YAY Maris is finally home! This chapter was something I've planned a lot, out of the other chapter, but it turned out good :) What do you guys think?

Review!