It's been forever with this story. Something I threw together!

Storm's Sojourn

Chapter Four

Some moments later, the group in its entirety stood outside the beautiful beach home – crowded around the parked cars and motorcycle like elementary kids single filing for a bathroom run. With everyone finally arrived, Chelsea decided now was a better time as any to head into town and grab some necessities before the afternoon rush picked up. The schools here had already started, and mid-afternoons until the early evenings would be swarmed with parents either before the kids got out, or right after; and the last thing Cunningham wanted was to ruin her peaceful Zen with the thought of a confrontation with an overabundance of wild children. Seriously. Who even wanted those little monsters? Plus, going now would also free up the rest of the day for the teens to enjoy the fruits of North Gotham Bay's beachfront as intended.

Not everyone was 100% crazy about making errands in town though. Nelson Nash had just gotten off a very long flight – then drove from the airport all the way here; what he wanted was to catch up on some much needed sleep. But alas, Nash's hopes were immediately sent into an abyss of fury at such an idea. Chelsea was not having it, and in the end the sports junkie found himself silenced into compliance. Once that trivial matter was resolved, finally it was agreed. Everyone was going.

To save on gas, the group of friends decided to hitch a ride in newcomer Brent's pickup truck. The bed would be able to hold way more groceries and the opportunity would give everyone time to get a larger judging dose of Dana's new boyfriend. Dana and Brent naturally assumed their positions up front while Chelsea, Terry, Nelson, and Max chose to squeeze into the three-seat rear. With the first three already in place, Gibson hesitated outside of the started black vehicle with a look lacking surety. "Chels," began the pink haired genius with a shake of the head from the driveway. "This isn't going to work."

Chelsea leaned forward from between both boys and raised a brow in complete ignorance as her palms gripped the back of Dana and Brent's seats for balance. "What do you mean?" she asked in a tone that made the African American genius falter with a tinge curiosity.

Something told Gibson that Cunningham was up to something – something the pink haired femme wouldn't be too keen on enjoying. The chances of that assumption being correct were way too high for comfort. Max folded her arms and slouched her wide hips to the right as she pointed a finger straight for the cab of the truck; expression almost unbelieving of her blonde friend's obliviousness. "It only fits three, Chelsea!"

Dana looked over a shoulder and assessed the situation before decreeing with all the simplicity of the world: "Just get on someone's lap."

Nelson's expression lit up in anticipation at the idea and Max raised her hands to stop any thoughts of agreement on that subject matter, face growing red – redder than even Terry's. "No way! Chelsea can sit on someone's lap. She's way lighter than me."

Brent wrapped an arm around Dana's seat and gave Gibson an analyzing look over. He smirked. "I don't see the issue here."

"Yeah, Max," chimed Nelson with a devious smirk. "Now, the only question is: who's the lucky guy that gets you on their lap?"

Almost instantaneously, as if a powerfully mind blowing realization struck her in the gut, Chelsea Cunningham sat up rigidly, threw up a hand, and exclaimed loudly with such vigor that it earned the girl stares from all the teens: "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!"

Silence seemed to overwhelm not only the car, but the entirety of the beachfront as well as everyone continued to gawk at Chelsea – some with stares of hilarity, some with annoyance, and the rest with complete and utter confusion. "Wha…what…?" asked Terry, dumbfounded.

Chelsea flipped her barely there locks as if the suggestion was as ingenious as it was uncomplicated. "It's just easier that way. Besides, you boys obviously don't think you're going to be rewarded with Max on your laps when one of you was late—," she added giving Terry a death glare before turning her harsh gaze for Nelson and going, "—and the other scared the crap out of us when he arrived?" Both teens averted their faces from Chelsea, overwhelmed by the girl's threatening eyes. "Think again twips."

Max gulped, however. "Chelsea you're smaller than I am. You should sit on my lap-."

Okay, that was absolutely it! "GOD, MAX!" exclaimed Cunningham with a ferocious lean forward, directing her frustration toward the brilliant girl now as it was becoming more and more apparent that her impatience to get a move on was growing. "DON'T MAKE ME GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

Life was better than death. Without another word and within an instant, Max leaped inside the car, shimmied past Terry, and gently plopped down on Chelsea's lap, both boys turning immediately red as Cunningham tied her slender arms about Gibson's curvy waist and pulled the black femme back against her breasts; giving each boy a smug look of victory as Max chuckled. "Mine," she teased possessively. The vehicle erupted into a rush of laughter as the truck began to back up and pull out of the driveway towards the street. As the group made their way, they took notice of little scenic views they hadn't noticed coming in – coming to appreciate this weird little town a lot more than when they'd first arrived. Some minutes later, Brent parked curbside in the heart of Village Center in front of Cristoff's Grocery – a small but, according to Chelsea, well stocked market and drug store that had been around and family run since North Gotham Bay was first founded "back in the stone age". The kids filed out and entered the quaint supermarket already with an idea of what to get as they followed after Chelsea in this unacquainted place like little puppy dogs. Aside from basic necessities for the weekend, the cart quickly found itself filling up with countless extras from each teen before they could even begin shopping for dinner. The girls had been chattering almost the whole ride about what they were going to put together for the night: Dana was going to do a chicken Greek salad and homemade biscuits, Chelsea would make a pot of crab legs, and Max had volunteered to come up with a pan of shrimp alfredo. When asked the boys what they would contribute to dinner: Brent offered his ID along with some cash from Terry and Nelson to buy a couple of light drinks. It was a miniscule offering in comparison to the girls doing all the cooking, but would have to do.

Once their voyaging in the grocery store had been completed and the groceries tossed into the pick-up bed, the teens headed across the street to the fruit market where they split up to speed through the shopping process since Chelsea claimed her "brat senses" were tingling. In other words: the chance of running into kids was getting too close to comfort for Cunningham. So the high schoolers divided: Nelson and Brent, Chelsea and Max, and Terry and Dana.

As they walked around with their handbaskets, mesmerized by the vast selection of delectable vegetables and fruits, Dana and Terry allowed a comfortable silence to follow them for a few minutes before Dana picked up a Honeycrisp apple and, while carefully assessing it, stated, "You seem to be doing well, Terry."

McGinnis pulls alongside Dana with a softened expression, toying with a Golden Delicious in the next pile. "So are you." He pauses. "You look beautiful, Dana. You've got a glow."

Well that was surprising. Pleasant, but somehow surprising nonetheless. Terry knew Dana had been dating since not long after they broke up, but never met the guy or was around much to see the effects of it. Then summer vacation came and, well, it was obvious. In truth, she had been worried about Terry meeting Brent. She wanted his approval, and wanted him to be okay with her choice. But somehow she never expected for her ex to admit that he noticed how happy she was. It was both delightful and humbling, and in this moment Dana had never been happier that the two of them remained friends throughout this. Now she wanted to return the favor of pure happiness. Tan looked up to him with a genuine grin. "I guess that's what love does. I used to for you, remember?"

McGinnis chuckled, grabbing a plastic bag and helping his ex-girlfriend place a ton of apples inside for purchase. "I was an idiot for not keeping you glowing," the secret Dark Knight admitted openly.

Dana took his hand as they moved over to look at some fresh vegetables priced much better here than at the grocery before slipping them into a bag as well. "I still do, Terry. It just…dimmed a little. But you know what?" Dana asked, gently gripping his chin and forcing his eyes to her caring ones. "I think there's always going to be a part of me that will love you – I just think that love fits more as friendship, now. Maybe it could have been different if Gotham hadn't hit so hard back when your father passed, and everything after. But in our own way we're still together – and always be." They both smiled at that.

She'd changed so much since their breakup – in ways that would have made him fall even deeper in love with her than before. But that wasn't their fate, and he had come to accept and respect that. Instead of pain and jealousy, he felt awed and blessed to have her still in his life. Terry squeezed Tan's hand, causing her to look at him as he sighed with his eyes lidded in emotion. "Thank you, Dana. For still wanting to be my friend – especially after everything I put you through. I thought you'd hate me and…well, to be honest: I don't know if I could live without knowing you were still in my life."

"Awww, Ter," giggled Dana, pulling McGinnis into a strong, reaffirming hug. "We had some rough times, but no matter what you have always mattered to me. I could never hate you, I could never shut you out. We've been too much to one another to do that." McGinnis nodded in agreement and Dana released the hug, moving the two over to look at some raspberries before she caught eye of Chelsea and Max a few rows over turning over pineapples. Chelsea spotted Dana and grinned mischievously – Dana smirked right back. "So," Tan started casually. "Max seems to be having fun."

Unbeknownst to her agenda, Terry nodded; not even fighting back his smile at the mention of his best friend in the least bit as the secret hero ran a hand through his inked hair. "Yeah. I'm glad too. It's been pretty rough for her back home."

That put the plan on the backburner quick, fast, and in a hurry. Dana had pretty much forgotten how out of the loop she was with everybody's lives since summer vacation – so the slightest hint that things weren't as pleasant as she'd imagined put the girl in a tizzy of worry. "Really?" asked Dana with a raised brow of concern. "Everything okay?"

McGinnis shrugged in defeat. "I honestly don't have the slightest clue. She won't talk to me about it."

Now Dana really was concerned. There wasn't much that Max didn't or wouldn't open up to Terry about. Or any of them for that matter. Despite Max being mostly open, Dana prided herself in having a fairly strong connection with Gibson – so the fact that there was something the genius was keeping from them unnerved Tan quite more than she initially thought it would. Then again, maybe things weren't quite as bad as Terry thought? "Well, have you tried talking to her about it?"

Now it was McGinnis's turn to get confounded for the day. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, noticing her emphasis and not exactly sure how to take it.

Not wanting to turn this into an argument, Dana turned her back to him and continued overlooking the packaged raspberries, though with very little interest by this point. "I'm just saying that sometimes it's not that people won't talk to you; it's just not always easy getting a minute to talk to you."

"Now wait a minute-."

"And sometimes," adds the Asian beauty, "you have a lack of finesse in recognizing when something's wrong."

Terry felt the anger in his chest threatening to spill over as his mind initially began to take her words as insults and offense. But his training with Bruce had proven itself more beneficial than just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Instead of snapping off like the old him would have done, the teen gained control over his emotions (though it was still one hell of a struggle), and recognized that Dana wasn't attacking him; she was trying to get a better angle on the situation – something Terry had to admit he wasn't quite so good at, at times…Batman training or not. McGinnis took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and answered: "You're right." He ignored the swift spin of shock Dana just gave and continued. "I do have a megasonic problem in seeing the whole picture; or even wanting to. I'm working on it. But this drama with Max isn't just me over or underreacting. Something is up. Really up. I know I've been a dreg in the past-."

"Still are," teased Dana.

Terry snorted. "—but I'm not making this up. I know Max; maybe not as much as I should, but enough…"

Dana tried to keep the corner of her lips from going up into a crooked smile, but she could barely keep them from spreading at all. God, they were so adorable it felt like her ovaries were about to burst. Chelsea waved at the two in indication that the group was getting ready to check out, and Dana tossed some raspberries into the basket before quickly making her way up front with Terry at her side. "I love how close you two have gotten."

Terry looked curiously down at his ex-girlfriend. "Max and I have always been close, Dana."

"Not like this, McGinnis. There's something stronger about the two of you – it's been that way since the school year almost ended. A connection."

Terry bit his lip and thought on it for a second as they approached the group. "I guess we have gotten closer than normal. She's been there for me a lot since last year. I kind of owe a lot of what I've become to her."

"You'd do anything for her," Dana recognized.

"In a heartbeat," McGinnis answered without a pause.

"…She's your soul?"

Silence at first. "…I guess in a way she is."

Dana hesitated. They were only a few feet from the others and if she was going to say it – if she was going to tease him and get his mind open and working without putting him in a bind – she had to do it now while they were still somewhat out of earshot. Dana continued to look forward, rummaging through the basket in a nonchalant manner as if her next declaration really wasn't important at all. Terry was staring at Max's back as they got closer. Perfect. "You," stated Dana with ease, "love her."

He'd heard the statement – but somehow it hadn't fully registered with him like it should have. Loved her? Of course McGinnis loved her. She was his best friend. They said it to one another religiously. But it wasn't until after he'd said, "With my life…" that what Dana possibly meant actually struck him hard in the gut, causing the vigilante to snatch his gaze from Max back to Tan with widened, unbelieving eyes. He didn't know if he was more caught off guard by her statement itself, or in the brief flitter of contentment that rushed through the Batman's chest at the swift thought that even in the "other way", his answer would still be the same. Flustered, Terry tried to clean up his mess: "I…uh…mean…well, she…you know is…my best, er, friend, and, uh, everything…?"

They had arrived amongst the rest of the group, and were congregated together as the teens began to pull out their findings for purchase. Dana smirked and faced Terry with the most innocent yet wicked look he'd ever seen. Oh God. Dana Tan's dark smile spread even further at his discomfort, knowing her work here was complete; she scoffed playfully at the rigid and flabbergasted lad: "Look who's glowing now, McGinnis." Without another word she turned and linked arms with Max and Chelsea as the three girls waited for the clerk to finish ringing up the fruit, leaving McGinnis trapped in bewilderment until he caught sight of an officer that had walked into the fruit market eye their group and begin to approach. The officer was older in age, wearing a standard brown uniform and removing the large hat on his head. The hat was a giveaway…

"Chelsea Cunningham…" came the officer's voice in recognition as Chelsea glanced over and smiled lightly. "Well I'll be a bat out in daylight…"

"Hey there, Sheriff," replied Chelsea as she then introduced: "Everyone, this is Sheriff James Daly. Sheriff, these are my friends from Gotham."

Sheriff Daly tipped his hat with a heartfelt grin. "Quite a group you got here, Miss Cunningham: strapping young lads and beautiful young women." He winked at the blonde. "Your daddy know what you up to, up here in the Bay?"

Chelsea's shoulders immediately stiffened. "Believe me, Sheriff – even if he didn't, he wouldn't care in the least bit."

Sheriff Daly's expression seemed to take a turn for grief at that assessment, and Terry felt a twinge of guilt for Chelsea's dad only on Sheriff's account. "You know he's a good man," whispered Daly with a sorrowful expression.

"Yeah?" sassed Chelsea alongside folded arms and a firm look. "Well maybe I'd know it if he started acting like it."

The Sheriff cleared his throat and stood up straight, obviously trying to push the girl's cold words out of mind. To be completely honest, it bothered him way more than he would have liked. Here in North Gotham Bay, the people were fairly family oriented. To them, there was no stronger bond – and Mr. Cunningham hadn't always been as…empty as he was now. In fact, he and his wife used to come to the Bay quite often and it was almost like they belonged. By the time they had Chelsea, the Cunningham's pretty much became a beloved part of the North Gotham Bay community – friends, even. And then… "Well, anyways," started the Sheriff; switching to another subject. "I suspect you kids are heading back into Gotham?"

The teenagers gave one another strange looks as Chelsea unfolded her arms and raised a brow. "We actually just arrived, Daly."

"I don't think sticking around is a good idea Miss Cunningham," urged the lawman with a serious look. "We've got a storm pushing in tonight – one hell of a one, by the sound of it. By the time school is out Village Center is going to be flooded with folks buying necessities to hold them over. It's not going to be pretty," added the Sheriff as he looked over his shoulder at the sound of his radio buzzing in the squad car parked out front. "Head back to Gotham, Chelsea. Shoreline Estates is the worse place to be when the weather gets ghast. Later kids." He tipped his hat farewell and jogged out the front doors.

"Ghast?" asked Nelson, loading some kiwis onto the conveyer belt before giving the female clerk a flirtatious wink.

Chelsea rubbed her neck and answered, "It's short for 'ghastly': frightening, terrifyingly horrible to the senses." She shrugged it off, however. "But I'm sure shiz is okay. The Bay never has anything major going on around this time of year. It's the winters you really got to worry about."

Pacified by their host's claim, the teens' growing apprehension and disquiet of the weekend potentially being less relaxing than expected began to dwindle, and the task at hand of getting the groceries purchased and loaded back into Brent's pick-up became their only concern and objective. Good times were back on the menu once again!

But with one problem pushed onto the backburner, another made its way to the forefront for Terry McGinnis as he watched his former girlfriend shimmy Chelsea slightly away from the group as the others took hold the bags and began to walk outside to cross the street to their waiting chariot. Dana whispered something into Chelsea's ear, and it was when the two coy females both gave Terry such disturbingly impish looks that he realized something was coming. Something that not even Bruce could have prepared him for.

His eyes fell once more onto Max as she walked outside of the fruit market and looked both ways before lightly jogging across the street to the truck. He felt a sudden flutter, one that he had had countless times before whenever he saw her…touched her…like he felt when he saw her a while ago on the edge of the balcony overlooking the beach with one of her favorite books in hand: happy, peaceful, beautiful. But this time, it was so much stronger to the point it nearly debilitated him. "Oh…shit…"

To be continued...