6 Caged Bird

Mister Smoothie

Friday, June 4, 2010

When Harley woke up, she seemed to have a much more positive attitude than the day before. While she was still broken after her relationship with the Joker, Harley felt that yesterday gave her the spark of hope to continue. For a short while, she sat on her bed, just staring out the window while thinking over what happened. 'I guess it wasn't all a dream.' Harley looked down at herself, thinking about the previous weeks without clean ones. Now that she thought about it, Mr. J would always pick out her outfits. 'This… This feels nice.'

She got to her feet, stretched, and made her way to the door. 'I wonder if Ben is still here.' Harley peeked out of her room to see if Ben was still around. While she didn't see him, as soon as the door opened, a gust of fresh breakfast aroma blew into her face. 'He's in the kitchen, then.' Knowing that Ben would show some concern since Yesterday, she plastered on a small smile. While she appreciated that Ben was letting her stay here, she didn't want him to worry too much about her problems. Taking a deep breath of the deliciousness, she made her way downstairs still in her sleepwear. "Something smells good. What's cooking, Ben?" By the time she got down the stairs, she could hear the light bustle happening in the kitchen.

Ben was wearing a simple black tee and jeans with a hot pan in hand. "Oh, Morning, Harley. I decided to make some breakfast for us before I opened up shop."

She smiled at the small array of food on the table. There were some waffles, breakfast sausages, and pancakes ready to be served. "Wow. Thanks. This looks delicious. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm still working on the omelets, so if you can grab some salt and pepper from the pantry, that would be great."

"Sure." She walked up to the cupboard, opened it, and traced her finger along the rows of boxes and other containers.' Salt and pepper... Salt and pepper... Salt and pepper... Ah, right next to the bulk popcorn.' "Here you go."

"Thanks. Take a seat, and I'll have this ready for us."

About five minutes later, all the food was set and ready to be eaten. Harley's mouth watered a bit from being so close to the smell.

When Ben sat down, he noticed this. "Thanks for waiting. Let's dig in."

While they were eating, Harley decided to start up some conversation. "This is all good. How did you learn to cook like this anyway?

"When I finally moved out of my parent's place after college, I had to start learning how to cook on my own. The internet helped, but that didn't stop me from burning a few things at first." Harley laughed at his modesty. "My cousin and my best friend didn't like how I ate out a lot. In retrospect, a diet of chili fries and smoothies for a few weeks does not end well."

Once they finished breakfast, the two began to open up shop. Ben decided that Harley could live in the guest room upstairs and help around while she recovered. She was still unsure of what to do with her life, but, then again, who does?

Things were looking up for the two of them.

Oa

Things were not looking up for the Green Lantern Corps. The Guardians of the Universe were in a frenzy. Random stars and planets were popping up out of nowhere, and they couldn't find a reason why.

One of the sagely blue beings was sitting in a chair massaging his head from today's headache. A knock came from the door, and he let the man in.

It was Kilowog, a rather large alien man who is a well-respected member of the Corps. He was holding a datapad and read out the message to him. "Ganthet, it appears that one of the planets that popped up has intelligent life. Wanna send Lanterns to investigate?"

Ganthet took a breath and contemplated the situation. "Considering that we have no idea who these inhabitants are, I advise that we only send in one Lantern to scout. I hope to know more about these new arrivals and if they know how they came there. I advise against any direct contact with them. We need someone who can blend in with the surroundings."

"Considering that the planet contains many forests and plains, I believe that I know the perfect man for the job." He raised his hand to his communicator. "Hey, Chip. I got your next assignment for you."

This wasn't the first time events like this happened. They began to occur several months ago. Since then, they happened about a month within each other. The Guardians could not find a single pattern. This phenomenon has never happened before and will most likely lead to trouble. News of these happenings has been kept to a select few to prevent panic.

'On another note, there have also been reports of power fluctuations coming from all colors of the lantern spectrum at the same time as these events. 'The emotional spectrum beasts are reacting to something, but I don't know what. Thankfully, the beast of willpower seems to have the least reaction during these timeframes.'

"Kilowog, where are Lantern Members Hal Jordan and John Stewart currently?"

"They should be with the Justice League back on Earth. Ever since Guy got in that accident a few years back, they try to stick near him so he doesn't get into any more trouble."

"Yes. I remember that incident. He really should not have aggravated that prisoner during transport."

"He really should have read the prisoner report beforehand. Maybe he wouldn't have poured his drink on the guy."

Suddenly, a light buzzing came upon Ganthet's monitor. "It looks like another Lantern Corp calling." He sighed. 'This must be in regards to the latest incident.' "I better take this."

"Okay then, I'll be off on my rounds." Kilowog left while Ganthet answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Greetings, Ganthet," a feminine voice spoke. The caller on the other side has blue skin, a slim figure, and black hair. She has darker blue eyes and face-paint. She wears a sleeveless pink top that exposes her midriff and navel, two pink bands around the arms, and a pink skirt with a longer length in the back than in the front and pink high heels.

"To you as well, Aga'po." He sighed once more. "Let's get this over with."

Earth

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

A young raven-haired woman was currently stretching on the lawn. If men were to walk by, they would stare at her for a bit before they walk right into the nearby tree. It happened more often than one would think. In all fairness, she was wearing a typical female workout attire. She wore a black sports bra with midnight blue athletic shorts. 'This is good for me,' Dinah Lance thought to herself.

Due to some personal issues, Dinah decided to travel around the country for a bit to help clear her head. While this may sound like an expensive task, it helps that the Justice League has Zeta teleporters all across the United States and some parts of Europe. It really helped when she had to meet with the other League members when mutant Horseshoe Crabs began attacking San Francisco Bay and she was all the way in Boston. If she remembered correctly, Arthur said it had something to do with some radioactive waste being dumped off the coast under the table. Thanks to Arthur's natural affinity with sea life, he ended up taking the leftover population to a remote location in the Pacific Ocean.

For the past two weeks, Dinah had been staying in Barry's home with his wife Iris. It was fortunate that the two were understanding and generous toward her. Then again, she and Iris are very close friends. For some of the League members who were more open about their identity to trusted friends, they hung out during the holidays and other special events. Considering that Dinah never really had a secret identity in the first place, it made introductions quite easy. Whenever she fought on the streets, most people never had time to get a good look at her.

Anyways, Iris and Barry were now at their respective jobs. Apparently, Iris is working on a report about the incident that happened when Barry was taking care of Mirror Master's latest heist. Dinah didn't really look into it as it was stated in his short interview with the press at the time that he was an alien. If anything, Hal and John would look him up in the Lantern Database for any past discrepancies. Another one is the recent crow problem. Barry, on the other hand, is running some tests at his CSI lab. He really wanted to stay indoors since yesterday. 'Something about crows, popcorn, and water. I'll ask him about it later.'

Whenever Dinah is alone at the house, she would take the time to do some exercise during the day and catch up on some TV shows and movies at night. She had just finished her stretches, and she was about to jog to the UFC Gym. While she had her Canary Cry, she still needed to stay in peak physical condition to fight. She had numerous mentors before that helped her become an expert in hand-to-hand combat. Even though the people at the gym weren't her level, they could at least keep her on her toes whenever she sparred.

Packing up her gym bag, she started jogging West.

Mister Smoothie

The breakfast and lunch rushes have passed, and it was time for Ben to go on his break. At the moment, he was tying his sneakers, ready to head out. Currently, he's wearing a silver tank top with black basketball shorts. "Are you sure that you don't want to come with me to the gym?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. As much as I love to get worked up and sweaty, I have some stuff to do before I work the afternoon shift." Harley volunteered to work the shop in the afternoon while Ben took the morning and lunch rushes.

'Ignoring that little tidbit…' "Are you sure about doing that?"

"Why?"

"Remember what happened last time you went out? The sign clearly said not to feed the birds."

"How was I supposed to know that it was the crows mating season and that they get violent during this time?"

"..." He placed a hand on his chin. "Fair point. I didn't even know that."

She waved her hand carelessly. "Besides, everyone got out of the park okay."

Ben's face reverted to a deadpan expression. "The elderly nearby were almost getting their eyes poked out." He groaned. "Thank God that they were wearing such thick glasses."

"See! Almost. The worst thing that happened was when that guy with the blond hair got attacked and kept running into street lamps."

"And then he ran into a popcorn stand, spilled it all, and got assaulted by even more crows."

"Psh… He's fine." Her smile grew to a mischievous grin. "That sexy firefighter saved the day. Didn't she?"

"If you were referring to when you showed up in the eye-catching outfit, hijacked that fire hydrant, and sprayed at that poor man for a minute even though the crows already flew away in the first five, then yes, you did "save" the day."

'Glad you liked the show' "You bet your sweet a**, I did!"

Ben simply gave a nervous laugh. "You're lucky that I was able to pick you up after seeing the news flash before anything else happened. So, can you at least promise me that you won't cause any more trouble today."

"I make no promises, but I'll try." The innocent smile she gave would make any man think she was serious. Ben, however, held it with a grain of salt.

"If you get in trouble again, no more dessert."

"What! Wait… Oh, I get it. You want me to blame it on someone else. That's the most basic rule in Gotham. I can't believe that I forgot that."

"That's not what I…"

"Don't worry, Ben I hear you loud and clear. I'll try not to hurt anybody, but I hold no responsibility when it comes to the mimes at the park." She gave a final wave before she slammed the back door shut.

Ben sighed. "Azmuth…"

The holographic mentor appeared before him. "Yes, Ben?"

"What's the probability that she'll make another scene?"

"Taking into account her prior history and current emotional state. I calculate that there is a sixty percent chance of recklessness and tomfoolery."

"At least that's an improvement from last time."

"I'm surprised that you let her out when I said it was ninety percent."

"I had faith in that ten percent."

"And now?"

"I'll deal with it when the time comes. Right now, I better get going."

"While I admire your somewhat trust in your new companion, I do hope that she does to you in turn."

"Well, Azmuth, sometimes all that you can do is hope for the best." With that, he packed up his backpack and headed South on Sienna Avenue.

Taylor Street

30 Minutes Later

It was pretty clear out for an afternoon in the city. Usually, it would be somewhat cloudy, but not as much as Gotham. Dinah left the house a while ago and left a note for the Allens. As Dinah continued her jog and thought about recent events, she felt more at ease thanks to the soft breeze brushing by her face with the warm sunlight. 'As they say, exercise is therapeutic.' Things were going well; however, these comforting thoughts were cut short. Just as she was passing the corner, another figure runs by, and they collide with each other, leaving both of them dazed for a bit and on the ground. 'So much for that easing feeling.' She blew at the strands of hair that covered her left eye.

Dinah fought criminals on a daily basis. This was nothing compared to that, so she was used to getting hurt. What made today different was that today was still her vacation and that it wasn't a criminal but a civilian. 'Is it too much to ask for some relaxation time outside of work.' She was more annoyed than hurt.

"Well that hurt," answered the other person nearby.

Shifting her gaze to said person, she saw what looked to be a man in silver and black workout attire. On the ground, she shook her head. "Would you watch where you're going? I'm pretty sure neither of us wanted to end up on the floor today," she complained in an annoyed tone

As he took notice of her, he immediately stood up in a fluster. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful when I was running." He dusted himself and regained some composure. With a calm smile, he extended his hand to Dinah. "Here let me help you up."

'At least he apologized.' With what just happened, she sighed. She grabbed onto his hand as he pulled her to her feet. "Thanks. I guess I can forgive you a little for your consideration."

Rubbing the back of his head, he asked, "That's good, I guess. You're not hurt are you?"

"Trust me. I've had worse," replied Dinah as she was adjusting her clothes.

A nervous sweat dripped as he took a small breath. "That's a relief. Again, I'm sorry for the mishap."

She moved her hair out of her face. 'He seems like a nice guy. Given his body language and tone, he appears genuine.' The thought lightened her up a bit. "Don't worry about it. In any case, it wouldn't be right to put all the blame on you."

This caught him off guard for a sec as he soon tilted his head a bit. "Really? Uh. I mean, why do you say that?"

His shift in mannerism made her chuckle. "To be honest, I was lost in my thoughts for a moment too. I'm on a vacation of sorts right now, so I've been trying to ignore the stress of my work life."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah. Work can get pretty unsettling sometimes. I'd be lying if I said my life was always perfect."

'Tell me about it…' thought Dinah. "I may get rough at times, but it feels nice to help people who need it."

This piqued his curiosity visibly. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living that has you all stressed… uh. Sorry. I completely forgot to ask your name."

She moved a lock of her hair behind her ear and reached her right hand out. "I should have introduced myself. I'm Dinah. Dinah Lance. And you?"

He reached out to her hand in turn and replied, "Ben. Ben Tennyson."

As with most people with secret identities, she had a cover story. Lucky for Dinah, it fit really well with her profession and education. "Well, Ben, I'm a private consultant for the department of defense," she explained.

Ben blinked at the answer. "Private consultant? You mean you're like Sherlock Holmes."

She laughed a bit at the statement. "Yes, in a weird way, I am like Sherlock." She paused a bit before she continued. "I still have season four in my Netflix queue."

Ben beamed at the mention of the show. "Same for me. I really like the show, but I was left off after Moriarty made his digital return."

"I know, right? I can't wait to see what happens next." She shook her head in realization. "Sorry, I got off track. As I was saying, I have a doctorate in psychology, so I assist in behavioral analysis and therapy."

Earning that degree was one of the hardest moments in her life. Well, aside from the time the city was nearly overrun by toy robots. You would think that the robots being made of Legos would make them break more easily. Well, she was right about that, but the others would rebuild them afterward.

"So, you're Dr. Dinah, then?" asked Ben in a teasing tone.

She answered back with a smiling eye roll. This wasn't the first time that she was called that.

Ben continued to talk. "You know, my friend and I also have degrees in psychology, although she received a doctorate in her major and not me."

"That's good for her, but if you didn't go for Psychology, what did you end up majoring in?"

Ben went on to talk about his time in College and his current career status. In a similar matter to Harley, she couldn't help but laugh. 'I know that it's not the most common choice, but it's mine. I'm happy with it. Maybe I should just tell people that I'm in the consumer beverage industry. Maybe that'll hold off the laughter till later. Meh. People are really enjoying the new Boba Tea flavors I added recently.'

They talked a bit more before Dinah asked the obvious question. "I take it that you were also exercising before our… meeting."

"Hehe. Yeah. I was heading to the UFC I've heard so much about."

"Well, I'm headed there too." She started walking ahead of Ben. "Wanna join me?"

Ben crossed his arms and replied, "Sure. It's always better to have a partner to train with. If anything, that'll probably keep us from running into each other by accident." They both laughed and continued their walk.

About ten minutes into the walk, Ben decided to ask about the gym. "They say a lot of professional UFC fighters go there to train and spar with each other in preparation for the next tourney."

"I've been going there for a while, so I can confirm that what you heard is true. With my profession, the higher-ups encouraged me to take part in various self-defense arts. What about you? What's a smoothie jerk doing at a UFC gym."

"I'll have you know that I have been… sparring with people since I was ten years old."

"You sound experienced. I'm surprised that you kept it up for so long."

"To be fair, I had an unrefined style until I was 15. After that, I started taking martial arts. My cousin is actually much more skilled than me in Judo since she started before me."

She raised a brow at his history. "I won't lie, Ben. Some of those people can get rough. I should know. I'm one of the top fighters there."

Ben's widened a bit from the revelation. "Wow. You weren't kidding when you said that you were doing self-defense. What's it like over there?"

"I'll be honest, I'm still looking for a challenge to come up." 'Fighting the League of Assassins once in a while is a much better learning experience than traditional training.'

"You sound confident."

She looked up to the clouds in the sky before she spoke. "My mother always said to control the fight on your terms. Act. Never react."

Ben nodded in agreement. "Your mother is a wise woman."

A sad smile formed on her face. "Yeah… she is."

Noticing her shift in tone, he decided to change the topic. "Heh. Maybe we should spar to see how well I stack up."

"Maybe. Let's see how you do with the warm-up and training before we even think about going there. I wouldn't want to break you by accident."

"We'll see about that. People have underestimated me before, and it didn't work out for them in the end."

Dinah smirked at the hint of a challenge. "Noted." She looked ahead before she gestured at Ben. "Come on. We're almost there."

Once they finally reached the gym, Dinah offered Ben to do the same routine as her, and he gladly accepted. What they ended up doing would be considered a High-Intensity workout for MMA fighters. The workout consisted of a warm-up, a station workout, and an additional set of grip strength moves. By the very end, both were in a fatigued state, Ben a little more than Dinah.

"I gotta say, Ben" She took a short breath. "I'm surprised that you made it this far."

He gave her a grin. "I'll take that as a compliment." He breathed and pointed to himself with a thumb. "As I said, don't underestimate me."

She laughed a bit with a grin of her own. With a raised brow, she asked, "So, you wanna keep punching the bag, or you want to go a few rounds with me?"

Ben paused at her words. 'What?"

She turned away from him and started walking toward one of the practice rings. "I am talking about sparring."

Coming back to reality, Ben replied, "That'd be nice too." He narrowed his eyes a bit with a sly smile. 'Oh, it's on.' "I'll have you pinned under me in no time." Ben waved his hand dismissively.

"..." Dinah looked at him with a raised brow and a small smile. She decided to push it further. In a humorous and mocking tone, she continued. "I'm a classy girl." Her palm bent over, pointing at her chest. "At least take me out to dinner first."

Seconds passed before both of them broke into laughter. Some of the bystanders gave odd looks, but the two didn't really care. They soon arrived at the ring and set themselves up in the center.

The two got in defensive stances. "Last chance to back out. If you think I'm too much for you to handle, we can do something else?" Dinah asked.

Ben shook his head. "Nah, kicking butt was on my to-do list anyway. Might as well take care of it now. Standard rules?"

She nods. "Let's go."

She immediately swung her left leg towards Ben's face. He was able to block it with his left arm, but her right fist came rushing in. Using both arms, he held back, but he was put on the defensive.

This caused Dinah to frown. "Is that all you can take? Frankly, I'm disappointed."

Ben got ready again. "Don't worry. We're just getting started. I don't disappoint." Narrowing his eyes, his instincts and training at the Plumber Academy kicked in.

Dinah sent a left hook, and he narrowly dodged it just in time. When Dinah threw a right fist, Ben rotated his torso and countered with a right hook to her face. Moving with the momentum, he continued to rotate left and sent his left leg as a follow-up.

Dinah managed to duck the swing, and as Ben sent another left kick, she grabbed onto it with both arms. Swinging her body, she flipped Ben over and onto the floor.

Dinah took a breath. "I'll admit. You're good." Ben got back to his feet, sending a left strike. Unfortunately, Dinah deflected it. Ben sent a right strike, but she deflected it again. This went on for a few seconds before Dinah sent another swift kick to his face, turning once more to deliver a kick to his chest and sending him back. 'But you still have much to learn'

Just as Dinah sent a left strike, Ben grabbed that arm, diverted her movements, and delivered a connecting right hook.

They soon began to grapple arms together, but Dinah was beginning to overpower him.

'I really wish I had four arms right about now.' Dinah ended up pushing Ben down to one knee. Taking a page from Kickin-Hawk, he pulled her arms toward him. This caused her to lose balance easily, and Ben dropped to his back. With her falling over, Ben used his legs with her momentum to throw her right over him, sending her landing about a yard away on her side. Thankfully, the floors were padded.

Ben waited for her to recover, and she immediately went for a leg strike. Anticipating this, Ben dropped down and performed a sudden leg sweep, bringing Dinah to the floor. He quickly rolled to get on her back and grab her arms, putting her into a standard hold. With bated breath, he asked, "Told you I'd be on top. You yield?"

She smirked. "As if!" Dinah forced her arms outward while knocking Ben off-balance from her back.

The struggle for dominance on the floor would continue for another five minutes until Dinah was finally able to get Ben pinned to the floor.

Unable to get free, Ben surrendered. "Okay! Okay! I yield!"

With that said, Dinah let go. She dropped onto the floor with heavy breaths. 'That took longer than I expected.' "You have potential. Where'd you learn to fight like that, anyway?"

He stretched his body. "I traveled a lot, learning from new teachers all the time. I even went to an academy." 'I couldn't really use what I learned on Khoros, because of the lack of extra appendages and more brutal methods. This is a spar in a gym after all.'

"You've been taught well, but you still have room to grow." She thought for a second before she asked. "If you want, we can train together while I help polish your technique."

"That's really generous, but I don't want to be a burden."

She shook her head. "No. It's alright. I actually don't mind having someone to workout with. To be fair, it's been kind of lonely here since the others get intimidated by me."

'Is it because of your looks or you're fighting skill because both knock people out easily?'

"You're actually the first person here to reach my level."

"Has there been anyone who beat you?"

Dinah thought about the normal people she fought with and spoke. "There is this one guy, but he's a bit of the loner type. My other friend bested me too, but she is busy with politics most of the time."

"If that's the case, I'm happy to come along and learn from you."

They shook hands before they each headed to the lockers to shower and change clothes.

About ten minutes later, they met outside the locker rooms.

"Today was a long day. You wanna grab a drink before we go?" she asked as she pointed out the room.

Shaking his head, he replied, "Nah, I know a better place. Drinks are on me."

Mister Smoothie

45 Minutes Later

They finally reached the storefront, and Ben was relieved that everything was still in one piece. Opening the door, he saw Harley in a simple red apron working the counter. "I'm back from the gym."

"Hey, Ben. You're back." Her eyes widened when she looked at the fellow woman in the room who she recognized from an encounter in Gotham last year. Why she didn't wear a mask, she didn't know. 'Black Canary?!' It took all her willpower not to flinch. "So...Uh… Who's your new friend?"

Dinah extended a hand to Harley, which she accepted fully. "Sorry, I'm Dinah. It's nice to meet you. I met Ben at the gym, and he offered to make me a drink for winning our spar" She sent her a smile before turning to Ben. "Is this the smoothie store you told me about before?"

"Yeah, I opened this place not too long ago. People really seem to like it." He looked back to Harley who seemed a bit nervous. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce my friend. Dinah, this is." However, Ben was cut off by Harley.

"Haley. It's nice to meet you too," Harley stated in a cheery tone.

Not really sure about the sudden name change, Ben decided to just roll with it for now and ask about it later. "Yup. I've known her for a short time, but she's a nice girl when you get to know her." 'When she's not outside doing who knows what…'

Dinah tilted her head when she got a close look at Harley. Luckily, the entire time she was Harley with the Joker, she wore her red and black skinsuit with a hat covering her blonde hair. Not to mention that she always wore face paint at the time. Not many people remember what Harleen Quinzel looked like. "Do I know you from somewhere? You're strangely familiar."

"Uh... I don't think so. I tend to blend in sometimes, Ya know. Maybe we crossed paths at the park?"

Dinah looked at her for a little longer before she shrugged. "You're probably right."

Harley couldn't help but feel relieved. 'Oh thank God…"

Ben crossed his arms with a smile. "I'm glad that we made a good impression. I'll go make us some drinks. Anything from the menu?"

Dinah asked for a banana-blueberry while Harley asked for a raspberry-vanilla. After making drinks for the three of them, they sat and talked in the store for a while as customers came and gone.

Dinah checked her watch. "It's getting late. I don't want to miss dinner with my friend. I guess I'll see you guys later."

"I'll see you at the gym next time," Ben said as he waved goodbye.

Harley did the same. "Don't be a stranger. Come back anytime."

Once she left, Ben turned to Harley and asked about today. "So...Why did you change your name to Haley?"

"Well… If I used Harley or Harleen in public people might recognize me even though I don't have my outfit and makeup on."

"Good point." He took a seat at the counter. "So… how was your day today?"

She simply smiled. "I did some shopping, exploring, and whatnot."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Well…"

He groaned. "What happened this time?"

"It involved three cats and a tuna sandwich..."

He held up both hands. "Stop… We'll talk about it in the morning."

She laughed nervously. "I'm also not allowed at the Subway on Fourth Street…"

Ben just sighed as he made his way up the stairs with Harley close behind.

Later

Dinah finally finished her jog back to the Allen residence. She knocks on the door, and a red-haired woman with green eyes greeted her with a bright smile.

Iris always knew how to make people smile. "Hey, Dinah. You're back just in time for dinner."

Dinah looked around the dining room and couldn't find the Scarlet Speedster "Where's Barry?" He's usually on-time for dinner.

Iris shook her head with a slight frown. "He decided to turn in early. That incident with the crows and the fire hose is still fresh in his mind. I told everyone in my report that they were getting more aggressive, but I guess he didn't see it at the time."

"That's too bad. If anything, I'm willing to talk to him if things don't get better for him soon."

"Thank you, Dinah. That would mean a lot to me."

"So… anything new happened today?"

"Why do you say that?"

"First off, you look more scuffed up compared to all of the other times. Second, you seem much happier than when I saw you this morning."

"If it's that obvious, I guess." Taking a plate from the cupboard, she smiled back at Iris. "I made some new friends today. Ben and Haley."

"What's he like?"

She told Iris the short version of who Ben and Haley are and what happened during their spar earlier.

"He was able to keep up with you?" a surprised Iris asked. Not many people, normal people anyway, match her combat experience.

"Yup. He almost kept me pinned to the floor. We went for five rounds before he tapped out. Lucky for me because I was running out of steam myself."

Iris grinned like a madwoman.

With a raised brow, Dinah asked. "What?"

"Tell me. Is he cute? "

Dinah rolled her eyes. "I just met him, so it's nothing like that. We're just friends."

"Aww. I swear, Dinah, you need to get out more and talk to people" She dropped her head onto her palms. "You don't need to flat out marry like I am with Barry, but you need to keep up with the dating scene."

"But," Iris looked back up at Dinah."If I were to put him on a scale of one to ten, he would be about an eight-point five."

After a good dinner with Iris, Dinah got ready for bed. She walked by her dresser and placed her choker by a photo frame. Picking up the frame, she looked at it with a somber smile. Her thumbs would grace the wooden finish before she placed it back down.

The photo showed three people: two adults and a little girl. The man was in a police officer uniform with his arms draped around his wife. She wore a blue jacket over a black blouse, with a choker around her neck. Her hair matched their daughter who was wearing a white dress. The girl's face was beaming with joy on her mother's lap. They looked so happy together.

Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Goodnight, Mom. I'll always miss you."