"Catgirl!" I could hear someone calling for me. "Catgirl!" I wanted to yell at them to leave me alone, but I didn't want everyone finding me. I heared the door open and shut, then the lamp came on in this small room. "Catgirl what are you doing?" It was Robin.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed. "I'm a monster. Good guys don't hang out with monsters." I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Cat." Robin's voice was soft. "You're not a monster. It wasn't-"

"YES IT WAS!" I cried out, turning fully to look at him. "I created those bombs, I allowed Joker to capture me, I'm the one who... who couldn't fight back." I sighed and looked down. "Worst of all... I hurt you." I slowly looked at him and reached my hand up to move the T-Shirts collar away from his neck to see the slight bruising that I'd caused. "Does it hurt?" I said, gingerly running my hand over the mark. He stopped my hand with his and I jumped at the contact. "Does this?" He asked, pressing his hand on my left side, the one with the burn on it. "No, but I know it's never going to heal." I could feel tear stream down my face, but I gave a small laugh in spite of it. "Cat are you-" I cut him off as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm so sorry Dick. I'm so sorry." I said, slowly taking off my mask and looking back at him. He was in shock. I laughed again as I slowly removed his sunglasses that he wore. "Ruby I-"

"Don't say anything. All you need to know is that I love you and I'm now going to kiss you, and if you don't kiss back, I'll know never to come back into your life, okay?" He nodded and I placed a small kiss on his lips, or at least that's what is was until he grabbed the back of my head and smashed my face into his. I gave a little squeak before melting into the kiss. It wasn't until I came up for air that I realized the door was open and people were starring. I tapped Dick for him to turn around as I hid my face in his chest.

"Oh, um, hi, guys." Dick said, putting his glasses back on. Dick stood up taking me with him as I grabbed my mask and placed it on my face. "Um, this is awkward." Dick said, giving a small laugh. I lightly took his hand stepped forward to confront the team. "Um, I'm Catgirl, and Robin and I have been dating him for the past four months, roughly." Superboy's eyes narrowed, Megan was shocked along with Wally and the archer, who's name I still didn't know. "So you've known she's a threat this entire time and didn't bring it up to the league or even us?" Aqualad asked, stepping through the team and I slunk back behind Dick again. "We didn't know enough about her to call her a threat. When Batman found her file from Cadmus he-"

"She came from Cadmus?!" Superboy growled. "You make that sound like such a bad thing." I whispered. "Because it is!" He yelled. "Hey Bucko! If I remember correctly you came from the same place. In fact, if it weren't for me you wouldn't even be standing there right now!" I got really into his face and pointing my finger in his face. "If I hadn't stabilized you all thouse time in the lab when they thought of pulling your plug, you'd be a pile of mush right now!" You could practically see the lightning flowing between us. "Catgirl. Are you saying that you worked at Cadmus?" Aqualad asked. I pulled away from Superboy to look at him. "Well, yeah. They said I needed to enhance my computer and stabilization skills. Ya know, if Mr. Stomppy over here would ever need a sedative. Or, if I ever needed to hack something for a training sequence." Everyone just stared at me like I'd grown another appendage or something.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked, taking a cautious step backwards. "How much do you know about us huh? How much did they tell you?" Kid Flash said, pulling me towards him by my collar. "Just who you were and everything the Genomes had on the League, then the basic stuff about the history of the world and its languages!" I said, talking about a mile a minute. "Can't I just go home now?!" I screamed. Kid Flash jumped at my outburst and dropped me. "I know I did something bad, but if you want to talk about it, can we do it when I'm not half naked in front of my boyfriend?" I mumbled, rubbing my arm as I watched all their eyes go towards Dick. He was blushing and wasn't looking back at them. As the stared I somehow unnoticedly slipped by everyone and when I made it to the hallway I cleared my throat making everyone's head turn to me. "This was fun, but it's time for me to go. I suppose you don't want another skylight, so where's the exit?" Dick squeezed through the others and stood in front of me. "Follow me." He said, taking my hand as we walked down the hallway.

"I'm really sorry. About what happened. I hope you can forgive me." I said, watching Dick punch in some numbers onto a keypad. "You weren't yourself. It's not your fault." He pressed a green button and a ding sound echoed in the room. "There." He smiled at me. "Now the computer can recognize you. Go on step in." He said, stepping under the arch with me. "B01-Robin. B33-Catgirl." A computer voice said, and a bright light appeared. "Come on. I'd better take ya home." Dick said, walking into the light. I cautiously followed in toe. In a flash I was in a tiny phone booth with my face an inch away from Dick's. We gave awkward laughs and exited the tight box. "This is real close to my house and I never even noticed it." I gawked, taking in my surroundings. "I mean wh-"

"Shh, someone's coming!" Dick said in a hushed whisper as he clasped his hand over my mouth and slammed himself up against a wall with me tightly latched to him by his arm. "Bruce, I had no idea you were so funny." A woman's voice said. But not just any voice, it was mom's. "Well they do say that laughter is the best medicine." And that was Bruce Wayne's voice! "I just can't believe it's been two weeks since Ruby went missing. Do you think they'll ever find her, Bruce?" I've been two week?! I wiggled my way out of Dick's arms despite his protests to see mom and Mr. Wayne standing at the front door of our building. "I know they'll find her, alive and well. Just you watch." He took mom's hands in his and looked her in the eyes. "Now, shall I pick you up tomorrow at the same time?" My mom giggled, GIGGLED, and nodded to him. Mr. Wayne smiled and kissed MY MOTHER ON THE MOUTH! When did they happen?! I was about to step out to confront the two when Dick scooped me up by my waist and pulled me back into the alley.

"You can't just go out there in your costume. You have to come with me to the manor so we can get you cleaned up THEN you can see your mom, alright!" I'd never heard Dick hiss at me like this, so I complied and followed to another empty street where there was a motorbike waiting. "Here, put this on and hold on tight." Dick said, handing me a helmet and starting the bike. I quickly hopped on and we rode off towards Wayne Manor. We were silent the whole way there and Dick was as stiff as a borde when I held him.

He dropped me off at the front of the house. He noticed Alfred and said, "Alfred, get Ruby some new clothes." Dick said in a harsh tone before riding his bike to the back of the house. "Care to explain what's going on Miss Ruby?" Alfred asked, raising an eyebrow. I sighed. "Sure, but like he said, I need new clothes." I said, in a saddened manor. What had I done to make Dick so angry? What's wrong with me?

"Well then Miss Ruby. Follow me and well get you cleaned up." Alfred said, patting my back before ushering me into the house. I silently obeyed and followed Alfred as closely as I could. "Let's see. We'll need a towel," He said, taking a red towel from the closet and handing it to me. "Then we'll need some fresh clothes, however we have no female clothes that would fit a young woman like yourself, however I think that Master Dick's clothes could suffice at least until we take you home." He was mumbling under his breath. "Well, as you find clothes I'll take my bubble bath." I said, starting to open the door to the bathroom when Alfred shut it again. "But what if-"

"Alfred. I'm thirteen years old, and totally capable of drawing my own bath. Bubbles and everything." I gave a small laugh. "Alright." He said, letting me through. As I started to strip out of my torn up clothes I could hear Alfred said, "Make sure to wash behind your ears. And get you back too. And your-"

"Alfred I get it! I'll be fine!" I called back to him, rolling my eyes,setting the red towel on the toilet. I'd just started the water when I heard Alfred's voice once again. "Miss Ruby. If you'd like. There is a music system in there. The remote should be on the far wall. It's more of a pad really." I rolled my eyes once again and looked to the pad attached to the wall. "Thank Alfred." I said, scanning through the playlists, till I found one called 'For Ruby'. I gave a small laugh and clicked it. Suddenly the room was filled with the song Dick played for us at the ball. "So this is love. Mhhh Mhhh." I started to sing along as I entered the bubbly tube and gave a sigh of pleasure. "My heart has wings, mhhh mhhhh, and I can fly." I drug the loofa over my arms and legs and the song changed. "Tale as old as time, true as it can be. Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly." I lathered up my hair with the 2-in-1 shampoo that was on the side of the tube and dunked my head under the water, rinsing the soap out. Once that was done I sighed as I got the back of my ears and pulled the plug on the tube.

"All those days watching from the windows. All those years outside looking in. All that time never even knowing just how blind I've been. Now I'm here blinking in the starlight. Now I'm here suddenly I see. Standing here it's all so clear, I'm where I'm meant to be." I looked at myself in the mirror as I wrapped the towel around me. Combing out my wet hair I hadn't even noticed the door open till I heard Dick's voice. "Hey. Alfred said that you-" He cut himself off when he saw me. I looked at him blankly. "Oh, hey." I said, taking the clothes from his hands. "Thanks for bringing my clothes for me." The blush on his face was unmistakable. "Um, now, could you please leave. I need to change." I smiled at him, masking that fact that I was just as embarrassed as he was, but it serves him right for being a jerk earlier.

He nodded slowly and exited the steamy room. I realized a long breath as I started to change into the clothes. A light blue Tee and a pair of black bike shorts, but now shoes so I just left the bathroom barefoot. I turned off the music, stretched and yawned as I made my way down the stairs to the living room. "Alfred what's wrong with me?" I froze at the sound of Dick's voice. "All I want to do is protect her, but I feel like I'm going about it all wrong." I felt a little blush go into my cheeks. Is that why he was so angry? He wasn't angry at me, but at himself?

I yawned a bit louder so they could hear me as I entered the kitchen where Dick was sitting on the bar stool (and a cup of water waiting for me, sweet!) and Alfred was washing dishes. I silently sat in the stool next to Dick. "So what did I miss?" I said looking strictly at Dick. "Nothing. However, I believe Master Bruce will be home soon. Oh, which reminds me!" Alfred said, taking off his apron. "Are you hungry?" As if on cue my stomach growled. "Yeah. Um, do you have pizza? Or maybe some pasta?" Alfred looked at me in a puzzled manner. "Would you like pizza and pasta?" I thought on his words and nodded. Hey, a girl's gotta eat after a week of no food and just her own sweat for water.

"Very well then. I shall get right on that. One moment please." Alfred grumbled leaving the kitchen to (I guess) find a phone. There was an awkward silence between Dick and I until I cleared my throat. "Um, I'm real sorry 'bout, ya know," I tucked some of my long hair behind my ear. "Making you worry and all." I swirled my finger around the straw in my cup. "It was my fault you feel so bad. I should have stayed with you or with my mom. I should have never gone out at all." Dick's hand reached for mine, making me swish my head in his direction. It was now that I'd realized that he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. Our eyes connected and the words that came out of his mouth made my heart stop and my cheeks flare up. "I love you." He said. "I love you, and there is nothing that could change that. Even when I can be a... well... a me, no matter what happens, you're my girlfriend and I am your boyfriend." I laughed. "Those are strong words. Are you sure you can live by them?" I asked, leaning into him a bit.

"I promise, I can." We leaned into kiss when Bruce dropped his bag onto the floor, catching our attention. "Oh, please, don't let me interrupt." He said, rummaging through the fridge. I saw him and the scene from earlier today popped into my head. "Hey, Mr. Wayne. Good to see you." I said. He shut the fridge door and grabbed an apple from the basket instead. "How did shoving your tongue down my mother's throat go earlier today?" I asked, smiling a sickly sweet smile. Mr. Wayne nearly choked on his apple when I said this. "May I ask how long you've been seducing my mother?" Mr. Wayne narrowed his eyes and wiped his mouth on a napkin. "I think that's that's a conversation you should have with your mother."

"Perhaps." I shrugged. Hopping off the bar stool and standing in front of the towering Wayne. "Just know that if you break my mother's heart I break something of yours. Something important." I placed my hands on my hips. "Tell me, which arm to you predominantly use for your Batarangs?" I felt a smirk tug at the sides of my mouth as his eyes narrowed further along with his mouth frowning further. "Um, Ruby, how about we head over to the basketball court, outside." Dick said, a thick awkwardness coating his voice.

"Sounds like a plan. But just know that I'm a fast learner and you will be crushed." I said, my eyes lingering on Mr. Wayne before following Dick out back.