Okay, I'm so sorry for not updating, I am being overwhelmed with finals. Sorry.

Dedicated to KT for making me write this.

Chapter 6: Story of A Girl

Last Chapter:

"Thanks." Smiled Raven. "So what happened?"

Currently:

Raven sat in the living room of Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman, listening to him explain about her history, while sipping cherry soda. Not the definition of "normal", but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"…your father is a seventh-level demon that is trying to kill all of us," concluded Bruce, while the two young people stared at him, rather flabergasted. This conversation had suddenly gone from relaxed to confusingly uncomfortable.

"Great," Raven said sarcastically, knowing that the statement was not as casual as Bruce made it out to be. "But the thing I want to know is...how did Arella die—in my head?"

Bruce grimaced, an action that Richard found to be surprising for Bruce never showed much emotion. "No, but your mother is, to put it plainly, dead. I think it would be best for everyone if I became you guardian."

Raven and Richard stared at Bruce for a second, completely shocked, until Richard started to burst out laughing. "You…really…had…us…going…" said Richard between laughs.

Bruce's face showed his seriousness as he clasped his hands together. "This is no laughing matter."

"You're serious?" Rachel asked, both of her eyebrows raised in utter surprise as she felt the blood drain from her face. "You want to adopt…me?"

Bruce nodded with solemnity. "You are now a ward of the state, even if they do not know it. You will need a guardian, because, with Trigon being controlled by a seventh-level demon, someone needs to take care of you."

Raven stared at him, full of doubt. "Trigon won't let me go. How can you make him?"

Bruce's lips curved up into a dark smirk. "My lawyers are very good," he informed her. "They will have no problem convincing the right people that Trigon is unfit to take care of you."

Two Weeks Later:

"I therefore rule that Trigon Roth is unable to care for his child, on account of negligence. Case closed," the judge confirmed, and everyone stood up, ready to leave.

"Mr. Dent," Bruce acknowledged the man next to him as he started to walk from the row. He then saw someone else he recognized, the woman who had just argued the case for him. "Ah, Ms. Montoya!" he exclaimed, seeing the Dominican woman's smiling face. "I want to thank you for keeping Ms. Roth's best interests at heart."

He stopped to talk to their lawyer for some more time, while Raven and Roy, who had come to the hearing, moved away. Roy touched her hair, a look of shock on his face. "I can't believe you dyed your hair!" he said with a large smile. The couple began to flirtatiously talk, mostly on Roy's part, while Richard watched from a distance. He then went to Bruce's side as Bruce finished talking to Renee.

"I think it's time to go," Bruce stated to Renee Montoya. "Will I be seeing you?" he asked, much more cheerily than usually. "Can you make it for dinner? Alfred's making cheesecake…"

Renee gave a rare grin, her white teeth showing. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," she gave her answer, and Bruce nodded, still smiling.

Bruce signaled Raven and Richard as he turned away from Renee and they both followed him to the limo waiting outside.

Once inside the limo, Bruce began to make sure both kids knew who was in charge.

"You are going to school tomorrow," he proclaimed with finality, ignoring the groans. "You are. And Renee and Diana are coming around for dinner."

Dinner that night was a simple affair, at least, simple by Alfred's measures, being only three courses.

In School:

"And this week, class, we will be working with sewing machines!" concluded the cheery Mrs. Henderson, looking at the very un-enthusiastic faces around her.

Speculation ran around about who would be first to break their sewing machine. In the end, it was Wally West who did so first, by making it go much too fast. His girlfriend Jennica Lehman, rolling her pink eyes at her sheepish-looking red-head boyfriend, fixed it for him.

She came over and muttered to Raven, "I wouldn't help, but he looks so damn cute when he's sorry." Raven smiled at that comment. She liked Jenn, but they weren't very close at that moment. Maybe she should make more friends.

She replied in an equally low voice, "I know, it's the same with him," pointing to Roy, who was, at the moment, tangling his thread. She went over to him and, with Jenn's help, untangled it.

"Be careful!" scolded Raven, ruffling her boyfriend's hair.

Across the room, Kori Anders, was having trouble with her sewing machine, a lot like the rest of the class. "Jenn!" she called to her friend. "Please help!"

Raven and Jenn rolled their eyes in sisterly anguish. "Are we the only ones that can use a sewing machine without breaking it?" demanded Jenn tartly.

"I guess so," replied Raven.

By the end of the day, they had fixed thirteen sewing machines, untangled fourteen threads, and still had completed all of their work. On the upside, though, Raven now had a new circle of friends. There was, of course, Roy and Richard, but added were gothic Jenn, impulsive Wally, not-so-funny Gar Logan, strong but silent Vic Stone, preppy Kori, beautiful Donna Troy, swimmer Garth Curry, and street-smart Karen Beecher.

It was a considerable improvement.

I'm sorry I didn't update and that it's short, but I have finals! I'll update more over the summer, promise! (I hope)

-Zoe out.

Beta-ed by KT (again).