Chapter Thirty-Three

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"It looks like your bag is about to explode," Dick commented as we walked through the halls, hand in hand. People were staring, and some girls glaring, but my mind was still recovering from being kicked out of Selena's apartment to care. "Plus, why do you bring Converse?"

"Selena kicked me out this morning," I muttered. Dick's eyes grew wide.

"God, Nessie. I'm so sorry. Did you talk to her about the Team?"

"Yeah. Obviously she didn't take it well," I replied. "So I guess I'll be living at the mountain now." He squeezed my hand and smiled at me.

"We'll go get the rest of your stuff after school and I'll take you there," he stated, and I laughed.

"This IS all my stuff."

"Okay, then we'll just head to the mountain after school then. You ready for our skit in Acting?"

"Definitely!"

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I had fought gangs of thugs, lived with Catwoman, and got mind controlled to kill the Team. Who would have guessed I had stage fright? Well, I did. My stomach felt like I was on a roller coaster (which I had never been on, but I guessed the feeling), and my palms were sweating. Dick and I had decided to do the scene from Romeo and Juliet where they both die, only modernized. So no fancy dresses or anything like that.

"Bravo, Emily and Kylie! Alright, next up is Richard and Vanessa," Mr. Jordan stated. We were in the auditorium of the school, performing on the stage. I bit my lip as the both of us walked onto the stage.

"Nervous?" Dick asked me.

"A little bit," I admitted.

"You have nothing to worry about. We'll do great," He must have noticed that I wasn't convinced. "To help, I have your Christmas gift ready."

"Really?" I had only gotten two Christmas gifts in my life. Both were from different foster families: a pair of hand-me-down socks and some needle and thread to repair holes in the families' clothes.

"Yep. You'll love it." He smiled at me. We were preparing ourselves when the principal walked in and went to talk to Mr. Jordan. They whispered for a minute or two before Mr. Jordan spoke.

"Vanessa? The principal wants to talk to you," he stated. I blanched, immediately thinking the worst: I was going to lose my scholarship. "She says it's important." I looked at Dick, and his eyes were full of confusion, probably similar to mine.

"It's probably something minor. Just stay whelmed. I'll see you later," he whispered to me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and smiling at me.

"Okay," I replied, then got off the stage and walked out of the auditorium with the principal. I think her name was Mrs. Carroll, or something like that.

"Don't look so scared! You're not in any trouble of any kind," she stated, smiling at me. I didn't smile back.

"Then why do you want to see me?"

"You have a visitor, Ms. Edwards," A visitor? Who the hell would visit me? We soon reached her office (matching the niceness of the school very well) and I saw a man with brown hair, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. "I'm afraid you can't smoke in here, Mr. Edwards." Did she mean to say Ms. instead of Mr.? But I wasn't smoking....what was going on? The man shrugged and pocketed them, then turned to face me. He had similar eyes to mine, and when he smiled, he had nearly the same creases that I got in my cheeks when I smiled. Wait...who was this man? He couldn't be....

"Dad?"

"Hey, sweetie," he stated, smiling even more. Holy crap. This couldn't be real, I kept telling myself. But deep down, I just....knew that he was my dad. I should have been happy to see him, I should have been crying tears of joy. Instead, I just stood there, and eventually spoke.

"Can we talk outside?" I asked, my mind still whirling from the discovery.

"Sure," he replied, and we walked outside of the office and to the courtyard. "Vanessa, I'm so glad I found you. I've been searching for you for awhile now. And when I got the call this morning, I just happened to be in town, and I rushed over here as soon as I could-"

"What call? Who called you?"

"She didn't say her name, but apparently she had been looking over you for about four months..." he continued, but I tuned him out. Selena. That was what she meant when she said that I would be in good hands soon. She thought these were good hands?

"So you think you can just come back here and be my dad? You had that chance 12 years ago. I have been alone almost ALL of my life, and all of a sudden you can just walk right back into it?" I angrily stated.

"Ness, you don't understand. I've been busy elsewhere-"

"Where was more important than being there for your daughter?!"

"Taking care of your mother was more important," Dad told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and he took some time to respond to my question.

"Your mom....she died last year from lung cancer. When you were one, she was diagnosed, and she was in no shape to take care of you by the time you were two. So we gave you up for adoption. We flew all around the world, going to the best doctors, but none were helping. She swore that when she got better, she would come back here and bring you home to us. But she never did," Dad was crying now: obviously he hadn't gotten over her death. But me...I didn't know what to think. Obviously the 'running away to Vegas' rumor wasn't true. It was quiet for a moment, and I tried to wrap my head around the sudden news and my dad tried to pull himself together. Soon, he did, and spoke again.

"I need you to live with me again. Also..." He hesitated with whatever he was going to say.

"Also what?"

"There is a chance....just a small chance, but still a chance...that you may have lung cancer. At least, the start of it." I swallowed wrong then, and started coughing and sputtering. With my face red from lack of oxygen, I composed myself.

"I may have WHAT?!" I yelled. "Fantastic! I find out that my dad suddenly reappears, loving me again, my mom's dead, and now THIS?"

"Nessie-"

"Don't you DARE call me that. There is only one person who calls me that, and it is not you!"

"You're coming with me. We have to get you tested for cancer."

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"Look, the lady who called me said she kicked you out this morning. If you don't come with me, I'll have to take you back to the orphanage, because I don't want you breaking the law!" My dad's words chilled me to the bone. No, I couldn't go back. I just couldn't. I don't know what caused me to say this, but I did.

"Fine. I'll come live with you, wherever you live."

"Oh thank God! My daughter is coming home again, to Colorado!" Colorado? That was almost halfway across the country!

"Before we go, though, I need to write something." I couldn't bear seeing Dick's heartbroken face, and I didn't want to cry in front of him. So I took out a piece of paper I was going to use for something that I couldn't remember, and a pen, and began to write.

'Dear Richard,

I'm sorry that I can't say goodbye in person, but my father just showed up. My real father. I have to go with him, or it's back to the orphanage for me. This kills me, but just know that I'll always remember you, even if you learn to forget me. You are one of the rare people that has gotten to know me, the REAL me, and I have allowed you to know my deepest fears and dreams. You trusted me, and I trusted you. Not at first, but now I fully trust you.'

I stopped to wipe away my tears that began to fall, and continued.

'Please don't come looking for me. I'm going to be long gone before you even read this. Richard John Grayson, I love you. I truly do. I once heard this stupid saying, about how if you love someone enough, you can let them go. Now, I'm not so sure it's stupid anymore. So, with that being said, goodbye. Probably not forever, but for now. Try to stay whelmed, for me.

Sincerely,

Nessie'

Then I drew a little cat's paw print next to my name. Folding the paper up, I wrote Dick's name on the front and clutched onto it, trying to stop the tears from falling. I soon felt a hand on my shoulder, and knew it was my dad's.

"C'mon, let's go home," he said, and we walked out of the courtyard and into the school hallways. We passed by the auditorium, and I saw Dick sitting in the audience seats, looking worried and anxious. It tore me apart, but I walked right past that door and to his locker. Slipping the note inside, my dad and I proceeded to his car and I got in. He drove off, and I suddenly remembered that everything I owned, including my phone, was still in the school.

"Wait, we have to go back. All my stuff is there," I pleaded.

"Sorry, but we have to go to the hospital. You can get new things. I will not lose another part of my family to death," my dad said. I began to cry, then sob, then pound my fists against the windows. It was no use. Goodbye, Selena. Thank you for taking care of me. Goodbye, Team. Thank you for wanting me as a member. Goodbye, Batman. Thank you for not throwing me in jail. And goodbye, Dick, Robin, whatever you wish to be called. Thank you for trusting me.

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Well, there you all go. The end.

JUST KIDDING!!! There will be an epilogue, I promise.

About a day ago, this story reached 20,000 reads. And I now have 50 subscribers, so THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH!!!!! It warms my heart that so many people are enjoying my story. :)

Please don't be mad at me for ending this chapter like this!! It had to be like this, I'm sorry!

If you all are bored waiting for me to update, check out meka016 and her story! She's one of my really good friends, and needs support! Plus, her story is pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Until I update again.... :)

~~The Bat has left the room~~