This chapter is short and sweet. I may post another chapter after school today! Try to stay whelmed for me.

Bethany's POV:

At the cave, I was brooding in the shower. I had been put on the same dodgeball team as Dick, Artemis, and Barbara. Artemis and I were just on our own, dodging and throwing. I wasn't that good at aiming, but dodging I was great at. Artemis was great at throwing, but not too good at dodging. While we were struggling, I had looked over at Dick and Barbara, and it looked like they were a machine. Barbara stood in front of Dick and would deflect all the dodge balls for Dick. Dick was just hiding behind Barbara and would occasionally reach around her to throw a dodgeball. Strangely, Dick was like a machine and would expertly hit his targets every time.

The reason why I was brooding was the fact that Barbara and Dick kept messing with each other. Dick and Barbara would chat and laugh and nudge each other casually, while I was running around the gym trying to dodge all the balls being thrown at me.

Ugh! It wasn't fair! Barbara and Dick seemed like they knew each other like the back of their hands. I have never been in a relationship with any guy and I never really had any close friends. I used to have a whole group of friends, but then I realized how fake all of them were. They were social climbers and they would do anything to get to the top of the social ladder. I realized in ninth grade how fake and boring the world was. I had realized that humans were the most manipulative, selfish, and greedy beings. I had distanced myself from everyone. Guys never talked to me anymore, so I never got close to anyone. Especially since my family had seemed to shun me. It was like Ash and Cain had taken my place and I was just invisible to everyone. I had no one I could rely on. Not my "friends," not my siblings, and not even my own parents.

I got out of the shower and dried off. I put on some soft cotton sleep shorts and a tank top and sat at the head of my bed. I drew my knees up to my chest, wrapped my arms around them, and then rested my head on top of my knees. Thinking about my old life always made me so sad.

I think that my mom went crazy after Dad died and she had to marry Peter. She didn't used to be crazy and abusive. She didn't use to be like that! She used to be loving and care for me. But after Peter and his shithole kids came along, everything was ruined. Ash and Cain immediately took over the school I went to. They became so popular and their favorite sport was to humiliate me in public everyday. After two years of hell, I had had enough and I started planning my escape. I thought I would just run away and find refuge somewhere. I was always too afraid to tell the police. I didn't know any of our family, so if the police caught my parents, then I would be put into the adoption system. I would get beat up at home and then go to school the next day with bruises everywhere. No one noticed, or they just didn't care. No one cared about me. No one. I was in that world alone.

I hadn't realized that tears were streaming down my face and I was sobbing quietly. I never cried in front of my parents or step siblings. I never wanted to give them any satisfaction of seeing me broken. By now, my head was buried in my knees and my nose was getting stuffy. My face was wet with tears.

Watching Dick and Barbara had sparked all the memories again and made me realize that I would never be able to have that kind of relationship with others. I never even experienced that kind of relationship with friends. Was Dick and Barbara just friends? I shook that thought out of my head. It's not like it mattered if they did; I never had anything with Dick.

Someone knocked on my door, shaking myself out of my self pity.

"Bethany?" M'gann's voice came muffled through the door, "Can I come in?"

"U-umm, yeah sure, I just," I wiped my face really quickly and sat straight on the bed, "Umm yeah… just, like, yeah come in," I stuttered, heart pounding. Did she hear me crying?

"Robin, I think you should stay back. This is a girls' thing," I heard M'gann's muffled voice talking to Robin through the door.

"But you said something was wrong with Bethany and I need to know what's wrong," I heard Robin reply. Although muffled and a little further away than M'gann's voice, I could still hear him.

"Robin," M'gann said, serenity in her voice, "Just listen this once." I heard the sound of receding footsteps.

The door slid open and M'gann stepped in with a worried look etched onto her face.

"Are you okay?" M"gann asked softly. She came over and sat criss-cross at the foot of my bed.

"Yeah!" I said, forcing a smile, "Everything's fine! Why?" I asked maybe a little too cheerfully.

"Well, I could feel intense waves of sadness rolling out of your room. They were so big and intense that it made me a little dizzy," M'gann said.

"Oh, sorry! Yeah, just… umm, stressed about school and all! It's weird coming to a new dimensions and then just going to school like nothing weird is going on!" I said, a forced cheerfulness in my voice. Hopefully she would get the hint that I didn't want to talk about it with her.

"Bethany, I know that's not it."

"What? How would you know?" I asked, kind of annoyed that she was still pushing the subject.

"Ummm, well sometimes I can't help it…" She scratched the back of her head, "But since your energy was so strong, my powers naturally kicked in and umm… I was able to read your thoughts," She must have seen the appalled look on my face because she quickly added, "But only for a little bit! I swear, quickly turned it off! I try not to intrude people's minds! It just happened and I couldn't help it."

I mentally face palmed. Of course, why didn't I remember. M'gann could read my mind. Damn it!

After a long stretch of silence I asked softly, "So… you heard all of that? Like, how much did you find out-I mean, hear?"

"Enough to know that you had a terrible past. Want to talk about it?"

There was a long pause. Did I? What did I have to hide anymore? She already heard my thoughts. The overwhelming need to just talk to someone took over. I burst open and told her everything. I told her all about my real dad, how he taught me everything. He was a lawyer and worked in this law office building. And then I told her about his death and how he died in an explosion when he was at the office. I told her about Peter Norwood, Ash, and Cain. I told her about hell in school. I told her everything all the way up to me running away. She listened carefully to everything, even though I talked for about an hour and a half. I even cried when I talked about how lonely I had been and how isolated I was. Then I confessed that I would never be able to have a normal relationship with other people because I never got to have that in the past. My life wasn't normal, and no one accepted that at school.

"Bethany, you're better than normal! You're amazing!" M'gann exclaimed, "And if anyone's not normal, it's me, Superboy, Aqualad, and Wally. Look at me! I'm green!" I laughed at that, "Bethany, understand that we're all here for you. Even Wally, as surprising as it may seem. We're your family now, and we will never desert you. You're one of us, and we never leave anyone behind. You can leave the past behind now. The Team and the whole Justice League are here for you. You have a huge family that will go to any length to protect you. You're one of us now."

I hugged her, "Wow, thanks, M'gann. You made me feel all better. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't stumbled into the Motherbox and found you guys."

After that, Artemis came into my room and we all laughed and chatted about school. M'gann told us about being a bumblebee cheerleader at her school with Connor. Artemis told us about how she got into trouble today for spitting gum into someone's hair. Then I told them about my extremely eventful day. I told them about meeting Kelli and her clan, the drama in the lunchroom, then meeting Rose, and then the drama in the art room (which Artemis high fived me for telling off Brady). Then I told M'gann about meeting Barbara. Then I got to the part that was really bothering me for some reason.

"So, are Dick and Barbara, like, a thing?" I tentatively asked Artemis.

"No, I think they're just really close friends," Artemis said, scratching her chin. Suddenly her face lit up, "Why do you care?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"NO! I didn't mean anything by it, I was just genuinely curious! They just acted like they were really close!" I waved my hands in front of me.

"Well they are. They've known each other since they were kids," and then Artemis added casually, "I think they dated at one point," She eyed me carefully.

I must have had an annoyed look on my face because she laughed and said, "See, M'gann. I think Bethany has a little crush!" They both giggled. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"I'm just kidding, Bethany. I don't know if they really dated. I think that they're just really close friends," Artemis said laughing.

I must have looked a little too relieved because then Artemis and M'gann started jumping on my bed and sang at the top of their lungs, "Bethany and Dick! Bethany and Dick!"

"URGG you guys are impossible!" I covered my ears, face going red.

Suddenly the door slid open.

"What do I hear about a guy named Dick?" Wally's teasing voice floated to us. Both of them casually walked in. Robin quirked an eyebrow at me, a smile playing on his lips.

"Bethany has a -" Artemis started. I slapped a hand over Artemis' mouth.

"NO! What Artemis is trying to say, is that I have a lot of makeup homework to do, so you guys need to leave," I quickly recovered. No one looked convinced, and M'gann was covering her mouth to keep from laughing. Eventually the boys left and I made Artemis and M'gann swear to not say anything to them.

We stayed up laughing and chatting in front of the TV in the kitchen. Wally, Superboy, Aqualad, and Robin all came and sat with us. We were all in our normal clothes, no costumes. Robin still wore his sunglasses, even though it was 8 o'clock at night. We all watched Frozen the Disney movie together and Wally would make stupid comments about Elsa being "icy hot attractive." M'gann and I would jump up on the couch and sing along to all the songs. Aqualad and Robin would smile and Artemis and Superboy would roll their eyes. Wally would just take pictures of us together saying "this was too good not to record."

When I went to bed that night, I felt like a dozen bricks had lifted off of my chest. I felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. I went to sleep at peace, without any nightmares, for the first time. I had found my family.

Love you, guys! Stay traught for me.