"Oh my sweet Tiiiiiigerlily!" Bengal heard the call of her mother through the garden, but she was remiss to leave. Plants were easier to interact with than people. Plants didn't force you to say anything you didn't want to. Plants didn't laugh at you just because you talked more with sign language than actual words.

Plants didn't say mean things to you just because you twitched sometimes when you were thinking really hard.

Mommy taught her about growing plants. Mommy helped her plant cucumbers that were flowered so pretty in the warm spring air. Mommy said most plants flower to show they're mature, and laughed when Bengal asked her why humans don't do that.

Now, Bengal toddled through their vast garden and tucked behind the vibrant leaves sprouting from a planter of potatoes. The scent of lavender wafted over and helped soothe her breathing. Maybe if I don't answer, she'll give me a few more minutes. She thought, laying back to look up at the clouds.

Her mind drifted back to the tall lady in the grocery store, how she'd frowned when looking at her mommy. "What does she have? Is she okay?" That had been enough to rattle Bengal from her daydreams and get her to stop twitching. Though Bengal was too young to understand exactly what was said, she gathered enough context to look down with bright red cheeks.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh…I'm sorry. She…well, I thought she was having seizures." Peeking out behind her hair, Bengal could see the lady looked sad, but her face was a little different. It had the look Bengal frequently gave her mother when she knew she said something she wasn't supposed to.

"She has an overactive imagination. It makes her twitch sometimes." Mommy had smiled, but her voice sounded angry, like when she talked about Daddy.

Bengal had never met her dad. Mommy told her that he left but it wasn't her fault…but it still kind of felt like her fault. Sometimes when she'd go outside, she'd pray to God that He would bring him back. Sometimes she prayed that He would keep him far far away from them.

"Tigerlily, there you are." Mommy's voice trickled in her ears and she was suddenly lifted in strong arms. Bengal watched her mother pick up a basket of carrots before readjusting her. "What am I going to do with you, my little tiger?"

Buy me more video games. Bengal giggled as she signed the words.

"You don't feel like talking out loud to Mommy today?"

Bengal shook her head, feeling tired and worn out from the grocery store.

"That's okay, honey. I know we just went to the grocery store a few hours ago, but I need you to come with me to the laundromat, okay? Your babysitter canceled."

No Rosie? Bengal frowned. Rosie was the best! Rosie read to her. As many books as she wanted! And sometimes she'd play video games with her.

"No, sweetie. Rosie has the flu. Now, come on. Let's go get some clothes washed." Mommy winked at her before passing through the threshold from the backyard and into the house. When Bengal was set down, she ran over to her favorite pink shoes. "Good girl. It's just a short walk. Let's hurry so we get finished before dark."

Mommy didn't let Bengal go anywhere in Gotham alone during the day. But even her mom wouldn't walk in Gotham at night. She said more bad people came out at night. More bad people who were not safe.

Bengal was scared of the dark, but she wasn't scared of the night. Because night time was when The Batman came out to save everyone in trouble.

. . . . .

Mommy started shaking her leg in the chair and glancing out the window whenever the sun went down. She started squeezing her sleeves when the shadows spread over the streets.

Bengal wondered if she had to go potty, but she didn't seem to be in a hurry. And whenever the laundry was done, her mom stopped moving quite as much. She pulled Bengal along with the fresh, clean clothes and out into the darkening city.

They made it to the crosswalk when Bengal saw someone with glowing lights on the street corner. She wasn't paying attention. She didn't mean to get separated from her mother, but suddenly she was alone in a big crowd where a bunch of cold eyes glanced at her and kept walking.

Her throat got tight as she started to sniffle. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she started moving and trying to find a police officer. What did Mommy tell me? I'm sposed to stay still but I don't see her! Where am I supposed to go? Do I just walk home? I just want Mommy…

She started running. She needed to find a safe spot. There were so many people. Too many people. Bengal didn't look at anybody. She found the nearest empty bench and hid beside it, starting to cry. Her body shook as she tried looking through teary eyes to find her mom. But everyone looked the same and she couldn't find her mother's face in the crowded darkness.

I'm never going to see my mommy again and then someone is going to hurt me or someone is going to hurt her and–

"Excuse me, sweetheart, are you lost?" A kind voice startled her and she retreated further into the side of the bench. "Hey, hey, hey, you're okay, you're okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

People scared Bengal so much. She couldn't find her voice as she looked up at the tall man. He seems nice though. He looks nice, too. He's got a pretty blue tie.

"Hey, can you breathe with me, sweetie?" His voice softened as he bent down to Bengal's level.

She nodded her head and followed his lead through some shuddering breaths. The world stopped spinning quite so much. Her shaky hands weren't quite so shaky anymore.

"There you go, good job." He encouraged, giving her the prettiest smile she'd ever seen. "Now, do you need help getting home?"

Again, she nodded.

"Okay. Where do you live?"

Bengal wiped her eyes and started signing. 99 Oakland Drive.

Oh. Are words hard for you? That's okay. I know ASL too. He signed back, making Bengal gape up at him. Follow me. I'll keep you safe. He extended his hand but Bengal merely held up her arms and looked at him with a plea. The stranger hoisted her up in his arms and began carrying her across the dark streets of Gotham.

The darker the city got, the more Bengal flinched and startled at every sound she heard. Finally, the crash of a trash can lid made her speak.

"I-I d-don't like…th-the dark." She whispered.

"The dark is scary for a lot of people." The nice man said, patting her back. "It's okay to be scared."

"D-Do you think…Th-The Batman…gets scared?" She swallowed, her little body twitching when she heard an angry dog barking down an alley.

He chuckled.

"I think The Batman gets scared more than people think he does. For sure."

"What…" This information was new for Bengal. If The Batman gets scared and still saves people…maybe I can do stuff even though I'm scared too. "What do you think he does…when he's scared?"

"Hmm, that's a good question." He said, looking both ways before crossing another street. Bengal knew this area well enough to know her house was getting closer. They were almost there. "I think The Batman faces his fears so he can help others. Because he knows that it's okay to be scared so long as he doesn't let it get in the way of his life."

Bengal opened her mouth to ask another question when she saw them. Red and blue lights outside Mommy's house. And Mommy! She stood talking to two men in police clothes while the nice man held Bengal in the shadows.

"That's her. That's my mommy!" She exclaimed happily, before suddenly being put down.

"This is as far as I take you, okay? You go on ahead. I'll watch you. But it might be a big fiasco if I take you over there. I'm glad to have met you, little one." He started pushing her toward the lamplight.

"But…you helped me." Bengal stepped back toward him, scared of making even that small trek in the darkness. "Why can't you come with me?"

"You'll understand when you're older, if you remember this." Another smile from him gave her courage. "But don't forget to be brave, okay? You can do it. Now go on."

Bengal took a few steps away from him, stopped, and then rushed back to crush the man's legs in a tight, appreciative hug. She looked up at him and signed one phrase. Thank you.

Then she took off for her mother.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She barreled into her legs and breathed in her scent and finally finally everything felt like it would be okay.

"Oh, Bengal! This is her, officers. Oh, my darling!" Mommy was crying, and Mommy never cried. Bengal was sure she'd explode with as tight as Mommy squeezed her!

But she didn't mind.