The courtroom crackled with tension, a storm of emotions swirling around Bruce and Sarah like bitter winds. The judge, a silent conductor, orchestrated the drama as they danced on the precipice of custody battles. "Your Honor, I've always made sure that Melissa was very well off. I've cared for her, nourished her, and we've never went without basic, necessities and extras. I love her dearly, and always take care of her, and Bruce is simply trying to tear us apart." Bruce attempted to maintain his composure, reaminging a stoic figure. "Your Honor, her current boyfriend, Melissa's father, had been abusing her for years. There's plenty of physical and emotional evidence for what he's put her through. And, I do believe Melissa is old enough to say what she wants, and to prove that she should be with me." Sarah rolled her eyes in disdain. "All you want is to take her away from me because you don't think I'm a good mother." She replied, her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "You're a terrible mother because you allowed Melissa to be consistently raped by Justin, and stood by and did nothing!" He argued angrily. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation right now. "Listen, I'll need to see the evidence you have. But, while said evidence is being examined, I will need the to keep Melissa under Sarah's custody. Now, from what I understand from what you've told me, Mr Wayne, Sarah did put Melissa under your care for the summer, so you two can…hash that out between the two of you." And with that, the judge adjourned their meeting. Sarah smirked at Bruce and crossed her arms. "Sarah, how could you do that to her? How can you stand by while your own daughter was raped repeatedly by Justin! How could you be so cruel and evil that you don't care if your own baby is being violated, especially when you could help her?" Bruce clenched his fists, trying to control his anger. "I-I…" She stuttered. "You know what, I hope you get what's coming to you. Because, what're you gonna do when Melissa's older, and she wants nothing to do with you? And don't think I'll be helping you." She faltered, realizing she had been a terrible mother. She realized how cruel and selfish she was, but it was too late. The damage had been done. "Melissa lies awake night after night, sobbing in pain, haunted by what he did to her! And he got the opportunity to do it again just recently, and she's been through hell and back." She sighed, staying silent until he was finished. "Do you know how hard it is to lay with her all night long, watching her endure the torture she suffered at the hands of him? No child ever deserves to be hurt in that way, touched the way Justin touched her. She doesn't deserve to wonder why others won't love her like that because she's been so conditioned to please Justin and submit to his sick sexual fantasies, and you should've been there for her. She shouldn't be begging for her mother to care about what happened, when you should've stopped it the minute it happened. And she read your mind, so it's not like you were manipulated by him, or threatened, or anything like that. You simply chose to ignore it, and let her endure that terrible pain. It's been happening for so long…" He inhaled and exhaled deeply, attempting to calm down. "You're…you're right, Bruce. Ever since Melissa's been born, you've been right. But this time, I was a terrible mother. I-I have no excuse, and definitely no right to try to take her away from you, knowing how much you love her and care for her. And she's always been happier with you. I wasn't there for her like I should have been in the past.. But I promise, I'll never let her down again." She replied, clapsing her hands together anxiously. She felt immensely guilty over how she failed to support her daughter, but Bruce couldn't fathom ever doing that to his children, so he found it hard to empathize or forgive Sarah. "It's easy enough to make promises when you don't follow through." He replied. Sarah analyzed his face, sensing his stress and sleep deprivation. "You haven't slept in about…hmm, a few weeks. Am I right?" He maintained his usual stoic expression. . "Yes. How'd you know?" He asked, surprised. "You forget, we have similar skills. I can tell how stressed you are, and can see the sleep deprivation in your face. But, I'll save you a bit of stress, and relinquish custody of Melissa to you. And, I hope you could forgive me, but I understand if not. I mean, I know you don't forgive easily–I don't either. And Melissa definitely won't forgive me. I guess she gets the grudge thing from us. But, I do hope that if you're not too angry at me, you could talk to her for me. I'm sure she doesn't want to see me, but please tell her that I at least apologized, and while I know nothing I do could ever change what I did, or make up for it, I want her to know how remorseful I am." Bruce stood, somewhat in shock. "Well, it'll take a while to regain your respect from me. I'm a father, and could never imagine doing that to my children. And since adopting Dick, I've taken in some more, and as a father, I just can't understand it. But, I'll talk to Melissa, and try to encourage her to be open to forgiving you." Sarah smiled weakly, a look of gratitude on her face. "Oh, Bruce, I don't know what to say. I…i can't believe I just didn't care about her. Oh, my God, what have I done?" Despite still being repulsed by her actions, as a father himself, he could see her shame and regret written all over her face and body language. "Thanks, Bruce. I'm sorry for all of this trouble. I really just wanted Melissa with me, but it seems I need to get my priorities in order." Bruce looked down at the ground. Before he could say anything else, he looked back up, and she was gone. "Hm, another thing we have in common." He sighed as he walked out of the courthouse. "How did it go, Sir?" Alfred asked, opening the door to the limo for him. "Well, the judge said that the evidence needed to be looked at, and in the meantime, Melissa would be kept under Sarah's custody".He got into the limo, and Alfred closed the door behind him before getting into the driver's side. "Afterwards, Sarah and I talked. Sarah realized the error of her ways, and volunteered custody over to me." He explained. "Well, at least she realized it. Did she say anything else?" Alfred asked as he drove through Gotham City. "She asked me to talk to Melissa about what she said, and possibly forgiving her. But Sarah seems to understand that Melissa won't go for that very easily." Alfred sighed and nodded. "What Sarah did was absolutely heinous. She…wasn't threatened by Justin, was she, Master Bruce?" Bruce shook his head as he clasped his hands together. "No, Alfred. Melissa read her mind, and she simply ignored everything, of her own free will. Justin didn't incentivize her in any way. Can you believe it?" Bruce asked, clearly agitated. "And why the sudden change of heart? It just doesn't make sense." He added, crossing his arms. "Well, it is odd, but just be glad she's come to her senses, and won't fight against you in court." Alfred replied, using the rearview mirror to look at Bruce. "I do think you ought to talk to Miss Melissa about Sarah. She deserves to know, even if she may not want to forgive easily.." He added. Bruce nodded. "I don't know how I could forgive her. I can't respect her as a parent. What she did was disgusting, no matter how sympathetic she may be now." Alfred sighed. "Yes, it's quite disturbing. I do believe that Sarah didn't quite have the connection she should've had with Melissa when she was younger. Sarah was fairly young herself." Bruce nodded. "Yeah, she only found out she was pregnant, I think when she went into labor. She hadn't known before that, so it was all kind of sudden. And, she didn't get that time most moms would get during pregnancy. But would it really have that much of a disconnecting affect?" Alfred nodded at Bruce's question. "That can be a great factor in the relationship between a mother and her child. But, I think Sarah, along with that, was simply careless. She didn't know how to parent very well, being a first time parent. but as time went on, and all of this took place,She held no remorse for letting Justin do all of that to Melissa" Alfred continued driving, and allowed Bruce to vent. "How? Fucking…how?" Bruce couldn't grasp Sarah's disregard for her own daughter. "Its the lack of maternal relationship, Master Bruce." Bruce sighed. "It's quite sad, really. Miss Melissa deserved none of what happened, and yet, because Sarah didn't have an ounce of empathy, she allowed her to be treated so poorly. How could she ever do such a thing?" Alfred couldn't understand it, either.Bruce and Alfred spent the rest of the time in silence, lett to their own thoughts and emotions. ———————————————————————————
Bruce and Alfred entered the Manor, Alfred holding the door for Bruce. "Star, honey?" Bruce called as he entered the living room. After a few moments, Melissa came flying down the stairs. She landed on the floor after the last step. "Hey, Uncle B." She said nervously, emitting a dark blue glow. Bruce noticed the tension she was feeling. "Well, Sarah said she'd voluntarily give custody over to me. She…apologized, and said she felt remorse for what she did, and realized you'd be better off under my care." He said. He wrapped his arm around her, leading her to the couch. "She…apologized?" She asked. "Yes, she did. And she asked me to relay that to you. She is very sorry, and feels terrible, and realizes that she had been a terrible mother. I don't expect you to forgive her, but you deserved to know." She sighed as he pulled her into his lap. "So she's not fighting you anymore?" He shook his head. "Nope. I'll be getting full custody." She looked at her uncle hopefully. "Thanks, Uncle Bruce. I couldn't do this without you. I really appreciate it." He held her close, smiling. "I love you no matter what, Star, and I'll always be there for you." He replied, kissing her on the top of her head. "Uncle Bruce, I...I was wondering if you could...um...help me, with a bath..." She hesitantly said. "Of course, sweetheart." He gathered her in his arms, standing up before carrying her up the stairs. "Thanks again, Uncle B. Thanks for helping me with my baths, and after every single nightmare I've had. You've been there for me so much, and I can't fucking thank you enough." Bruce smiled warmly at her, holding back tears. "Babygirl, I'll always be here for you, because I love you. You don't deserve to go through any of this, so I will make it easier on you however I can." He entered her bedroom, setting her on the bed. "I'll go run the bath water, and I'll get all of your stuff ready for you." Melissa smiled gratefully at him. As he left her on the bed, she couldn't help but thank the gods and goddesses of the universe that she still had her uncle and her cousins to help her, especially when her own mother wouldn't. She was heartbroken when she told her mother, and she refused to accept or believe her. And then, when she had read Sarah's mind, she had known about what Justin did, keeping quiet and not caring. Melissa didn't care how many times Sarah apologized. She didn't care if Sarah was in hysterics, feeling remorse for her actions. Melissa couldn't understand how anyone could ever do that to their own child. Melissa often thought about her future, and couldn't imagine a child being a part of it, but even if she did have one, she couldn't fathom not believing her child if they were hurt or upset in the slightest way. She couldn't ever watch her own child go through that. And Melissa knew this wasn't a circumstance where imagining having a child was different than actually conceiving one, because while very distinct, Melissa knew she'd never do that to an innocent child, no matter the circumstances. "How could she do that to me? Why wasn't she sorry when I was being hurt for so long?" Melissa asked herself bitterly. She put her face in her hands. She felt her dry face, a result of her not taking care of herself. She looked across her room, at the mirror on her vanity. She saw her deep bags, due to lack of sleep before just a week ago, and the edibles she had been downing lately. They helped get with the nightmares, so she enjoyed She noticed her eyes, holding a sense of sadness, stress, and shame. She turned gray, signaling her mental pain. It had been a while since she had even a moment of time to herself, having been surrounded by her family and friends to help her. Now that she was alone with her thoughts, she was reflecting on everything that had happened to her. Her Uncle interrupted her, walking into the room. "Star, it's ready when you are." She stood up and slowly walked towards the bathroom. Once she reached the doorway, he put his hand on her back, gently guiding her towards the bathtub. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm right here, and I won't let anything happen to you." He assured her. Melissa deeply inhaled and exhaled. Bruce helped her undress, and as he did so, she looked into his eyes, seeing his warmth and love. She smiled weakly. She could feel his love for her radiating in waves. Once he was done, he lifted her up and helped her into the tub. She sighed as she sat down, reaching for Bruce's hand. Bruce held her hand in his, offering comfort to her. As she scrubbed her body, Bruce waited patiently, sitting by the bathtub. "I know you're struggling so much right now, honey, but no matter what, I'll always be here for you. I'll never leave you alone. I swear." She sniffled, tearing up. "It hurts so much, Bruce. It feels like he…he's still haunting me." Bruce put his hand on her shoulder. "I know it hurts, sweetheart. But I'm going to do everything in my power to lessen your pain." She looked up at him vulnerably. "Dad, can I…stay in your room tonight?" She asked as she began scrubbing her body slowly. "Of course, sweetie." He replied. After a few minutes, she began draining the tub. He helped her stand up and wrapped a towel around her. He helped her out of the tub and led her to her bedroom. "You want your Batman pajamas? Or your flash ones?" She thought for a moment. "Batman pants, and a flash shirt, please." She requested. He nodded as he grabbed them from her walk-in closet. "Y'know, it's been a while since I've seen Uncle Barry. And Iris. Have you talked to them lately?" Bruce nodded as he knelt to her level. "Yes." He began to help her slip on her pajama pants. "He and Iris were worried about you, because of everything that happened." She smiled a little as Bruce helped her put her shirt on. "Can I go over there tomorrow?" She asked, grabbing his hand as they walked out of the bedroom. "Of course. They'd be more than happy to see you." He replied, picking her up and holding her in his arms. They walked down the stairs, and Melissa rested her head on his chest. "Bruce? What if…he comes back for me?" She asked as Bruce sat down in a chair in the living room. "I know you're scared, sweetheart, but I promise, we will do everything we can to stop him." He said, rubbing her back soothingly. "Please don't let him hurt me again…" Bruce realized she was mentally regressing and began stroking her hair. "It's gonna be alright, baby girl." As she began regressing, her body shrank, changing to fit her mental state. "Oh…my…god." Bruce breathed out, confused. "What's happening?" He asked himself. "Star, honey?" He held the 4-year-old in his arms. "Daddy…" He looked down at her in awe, as she emitted a dark blue light. She looked up at him with bright, blue eyes. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm right here. I've got you." He held her closer, refusing to let go. "Melissa, sweetie, what's wrong?" He knew what was wrong, but he needed her to talk about it. He knew what she was gonna say about her horrific experience. It was always so hard for him to listen to it. But of course, she needed to talk about it to help her process and cope. And he had to know every detail she could give him, whether she mentally regressed or not. "D-daddy…h-he hurt me…" Bruce looked down at her, full of sorrow. He felt so bad for Melissa. He couldn't shake the guilt–—the fact that he had never known what was going on in Melissa's home. "How did he hurt you?" He asked gently. "H-he touched me…down there. I don't like it when Daddy hurts me." Bruce inhales and exhales, rocking her back and forth in his arms. "I know, baby. But it's over, now." He said. He looked up towards the stairs. He stood up, cradling the scared little girl in his arms. As he walked up the stairs, the horrors of what Melissa went through weighed heavily on him. He couldn't imagine the pain she endured for so long, begging to be set free. "Boys?!" He called, hoping his four sons to be nearby. "In here!" He heard Tim call. He walked into Terry's room, finding Terry, Tim, Jason, and dick. "What's wrong with Melissa?" Dick asked, immediately standing up from his spot on Terry's bed. He took Melissa into his arms, gently shushing her as he held her. "Mental age regression, but I didn't think this would happen." Bruce ran a finger through his unkempt hair. "It's probably her magic, Dad." Terry said, standing next to Bruce as they watched Dick rock Melissa back and forth. "What's wrong, honey?" Dick asked. She sniffled, lifting her head from Dick's shoulder. "H-he hurt me. A lot." Tears filled her eyes as he continued to rock her. "Sshh, shh, it's alright, sweetie. You're gonna be alright, baby. I've got you." She tightened her grip, Tension hung in the air as they all shared anxious expressions, wishing Melissa could heal from her pain. It was hard for them, watching helplessly as Dick attempted to ease her agony. And they knew it was most likely scarring her even more with her mental age regression. "Here, let me try, Dick." Terry held his hands out towards Dick, and he handed Melissa over to him. She clung to his shirt as he rocked her back and forth. "Sshh, it's alright, I've got you, sweetie." She continued sobbing, mumbling incoherently. "I…don't wanna…please don't make me go back… it hurts." Terry sighed as he held her tightly in his warm embrace. "Don't worry, you'll never go back there again. You're safe here with us." She couldn't let go of her pain, and her brothers and father could tell she was suffering even more due to her younger age. "There's gotta be more we can do for her. She can't even comprehend what happened to her." Jason said, looking at his brothers. He looked at Tim,who was clearly burdened by his overwhelming sympathy for Melissa. Jason sensed Tim's emotions like an unspoken language. Jason himself carried the weight of his sympathy like a lead cloak draped over shoulders. Jason knew Tim had been through the same abuse Melissa had endured, from his father as well. Jason could read Tim's face, full of anger towards her father, and the sympathy he felt for her. He looked over at his father, watching helplessly, wishing he could absorb her pain. As Jason observed his siblings, they all seemed unsure of what to do. This was the first time they had ever been this stumped when dealing with trauma. They all had to deal with trauma and were often able to help one another, but Melissa's mental age regression, and her magic that caused her intense emotions, were out of their realm of expertise. Melissa's cries rang out, ricocheting off the walls of the vast bedroom. A nightstand, holding a picture of Terry with all of his siblings, began floating off the ground. Soon, the bed folllwed, along with the dresser, and his clothes scattered on his floor. "Uh-oh." Terry said nervously as Dick continued to rock Melissa back and forth. "Star, do you wanna hear a story?" She nodded, as he wiped her tears away with his thumb. "It's one that you're very familiar with. So, A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." She sniffled, leaning into him as he continued talking. "And you know what that baby did?" Dick asked, looking down at his little sister. "He grew." She replied weakly. Dick nodded, smiling encouragingly at her. "That's right. The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet." Melissa smiled and laughed a little. "Sometimes his mother would say, "This kid is driving me crazy!" He sat down on his bed once it landed on the floor. "You know, that was Cassie when she was little." Dick remembered fondly. "And Terry." Bruce added, chuckling. "I was not as wild as Cassie at that age." He said, crossing his arms. "Then, The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted ot come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo." Melissa snuggled deeper into him as he told the story. "Definitely Jason when he was younger." Bruce commented, chuckling as Jason jokingly narrowed his eyes. "Don't listen to them, Mel. I was a good kid." She laughed. "Jay, I can read your mind. And you were not." He rolled his eyes as he smiled. As Dick told the story, his voice gentle and soothing, Melissa seemed to calm down ever so slightly, but still clearly distraught. Dick remembered the day they found Melissa after a month of her being gone, how terrified he was about what happened to her. When he found out that Justin had been abusing her for years, he was horrified. He couldn't believe it. He loved Melissa like a sister, and he felt so bad that she had been through so much turmoil. He couldn't imagine the torture Justin had put her through. He hoped that they could help her heal from all of this, and help her cope.