Waking up in my own bed feels so foreign. There are no large, muscular arms wrapped around me from behind. 

I am actually wearing clothes that weren't torn off the night before and I don't have that post-sex exhaustion.

So, life as usual. 

My bed is much larger than the one at Jason's. It also has an overhanging. My pillows are large and plush and my blanket rises up puffy.

I sit up, rubbing my head and looking around the empty room. My apartment complex is the third largest (in size and area, not capacity) block in the city. There are six apartments, each one and a half lengths taller than normal and at least three time the floor space of a house.

Yes, it's large and quite lonely, but I like it. From the elevator entrance, you walk into the large open area where the kitchen is to your right and the dining room, to your left.

The kitchen is open to the living room, which is connected to my office and gym. From the dining room and down the side of the living room is the hallway.

In the hallway you'd find the bathroom first, then the spare bedroom, followed by my bedroom. I have my own ensuite. At the end of the hallway is the entrance to my large balcony. There's also a balcony entrance from the living groom.

I use mostly red and gold colours in decoration. As Jason said; like a Chinese restaurant. 

Jason... I shake my head wildly.

Pulling myself out of bed, I grab out some clothes. I clutch them tightly and sigh. Beautiful. Designer.

I have a shower, taking extra care to wash my hair three times. Most of the purple dye fades. I've really got to get rid of it before I go back to work.

After I do my hair, get dressed and put some makeup on, I walk out onto the balcony. I spend about an hour tending to my garden, trying to fix the decay.

Then I throw a couple of things out that have gone off, in the fridge and cupboard. I switch the TV on for background noise and begin cleaning, paranoid by germs.

That's when my phone rings. I look at the caller ID, to see Taylor's face on my screen. I grin and press answer.

"Hey girl hey!" Taylor begins in an excited tone.

"I miss you!" I gush. Suddenly my front door opens. 

"We missed you too!" Taylor screams, running into my apartment. My jaw drops before I am being tackled over the back of the couch in a bear hug.

I land on the floor as he settles onto the cushions. He reminds me of my sister sometimes. Over the couch, Telysha, brunette and brown-eyed, Angel, blonde and hazel-eyed and Grace, orange-haired and blue-eyed peak over.

Taylor has dyed his hair again. Black with electric-bue tips; Oh my God. His grey eyes stare down at me, overjoyed and slightly judgemental.

"Why are you wearing that top with those pants?" He asks. I roll my eyes.

"You haven't changed."

"Do I ever?"

Telysha puts her hand to me and helps me up. "Where have you been? We were so worried!" She asks, hugging me. I feel regretful for a moment; I haven't thought about them at all.

"Yeah, who was protecting you? OH- Was it Batman?" Grace asks, taking her turn to hug me.

"Not exactly," I admit. "A friend of his." Yeah, his son.

"Who?" They ask together. I just smile.

"Was he hott?" Taylor asks.

"Abs. Pecks. Guns. Take your pick," I muse, walking into the kitchen.

"Did you jump him?"

"Grace!"

"You did!"

I shake my head, a different expression taking on my face. All four of them freeze, staring at me.

"You like him," Taylor stated bluntly.

"Eh?" I try to act shocked, but they can read me like a book.

"You've got those little stars in your eyes. Where's this guy?"

"It doesn't matter where he is...he doesn't want me," I say quietly. 

"Aw Venny," Taylor jogs over to the kitchen and hugs me. I smile at the familiarity. Despite not thinking of them, I still missed them greatly.

"We should go out!" Angel suggests. 

"Agreed! Angel and Grace in my car, Venny and Telly in the Lambo!" Taylor cheered. "But first, you gotta get that out of your hair."

I remember that my hair is still slightly purple. "How?" I ask.

"As if he doesn't have remover in his car," Telysha puts in. I laugh, pouring myself a glass of water. Maybe going out would do me some good.

~

After washing the purple from my hair, I am glad to see wavy, mahogany locks cascading over my shoulders. Shorter than it used to be, of course. I walk into my room in a towel.

Someone moves in my window. I turn around quickly, instantly thinking of five different places I have guns hidden.

The shadow is gone. Maybe it was... no. It wouldn't be.

I put on a red Wintana blouse and a cashmere skirt, before topping both with a Chanel faux fur coat. Last is knee-high boots, for the cold.

Christmas was so close now I could taste it. Literally- Grace baked shortbread cookies. When I look in the mirror, I see myself again- my now self.

"You look wonderful!" Angel praises when I walk out. I smile and the others smile back. Except Telysha. We leave for the car park.

I climb into my golden Lambo, feeling at ease immediately. Home.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Telysha asks immediately.

"Please don't lean on the back of the seat. The beads on your jacket will tear my upholstery a new one," I say to her.

"Don't ignore me."

"I'm not."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I."

She stares at me seriously. "Ages of staring at you from across a courtroom, communicating without talking. I can tell when we're going to lose, or when a hostile witness gets the better of you. Just by your expression. Something's wrong."

I pull up at the lights. "Can't we just leave this alone?"

"Is it Jason Todd?"

She suddenly holds her phone up at me. I glance at the screen, seeing an article on the two of us. I roll my eyes and drive off.

"Were you with him during your protective custody?" She asks.

"Yes."

"I suppose the entire Wayne family had to be protected." She gets the wrong idea, but I just nod.

"Which hero?"

"Nightwing," I half-lie. Luckily she doesn't pick up on that.

"So...you and Jason..." She begins implying as the light turns green.

"A few times. I made the mistake of thinking it was more. Stupid of me." Taylor's Porche turns towards an underground carpark.

It's an expensive one, where most of the city's high end cars are parked. I find my own space and get out.

"Don't tell them," I urge her, looking over at Taylor, Angel and Grace. Telysha frowns, but nods anyway. I have a feeling she'll still mention something.

"Let's go!" Taylor cheers. He hooks arms with Grace and they begin skipping out onto the snow covered streets. I follow calmly with Angel and Telysha.

"How long until the paps catch Venny?"

"Reporters. Leave the paps for the celebrities," I say. "And, about an hour."

We walk down the street, nearing some clothing shop I don't bother to name. I don't hate shopping, but I do hate clothes shopping.

Whilst in there, time is spent by Angel trying on every dress in the store, Grace scathing te shelves to find her own designs and Taylor trying to get Telly and I to try stuff on.

"Venny this would look so good on you!" He holds up a gold and white blazer.

"It's black and blue," Telysha jokes.

"Don't start!"

"Oh my God."

I try on the blazer anyway. It's very pretty and the right size, so I buy it. Mostly to keep Taylor quiet for a few seconds.

"I need to buy a new car," I say as we leave the shop. Angel had four bags hanging off of her arms. Nope; she didn't go overboard at all. "Two, actually."

"We were so worried when we heard your jag blew up. Then to hear about your Hennessy too! ... At least it wasn't the Lamborghini," Grace says.

Yes; that would have broken my heart.

"So what car were you thinking?" Taylor asks.

"Maybe a Bentley... I don't know. I hate taking the Lambo out in Gotham. I'll ask my dad to send something over," I say.

"You have the best dad," Grace says.

"He's like a sugar daddy, but an actual daddy."

"Angel that's gross," I say. We're laughing loudly as we round I corner.

I walk smack-bang into someone's chest. I step back and look up to apologise. The words die in my mouth however, when I find myself staring into emerald green eyes.

Jason.

He looks equally as shocked as me.

"Da-amn!" I hear Angel and Taylor chorus together. I look to his right to see a pretty girl with long, red hair. He was with her. He had a new one already...

I feel Telysha grabbing my arm, pulling me backwards. She drives me around him, leading me away.

Things were nearly normal.