.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 2.®.®.®.®.®.

A Bad Start

Washington DC

August 11, 4:29 EDT

The front door opened as Grace Emilia Ross walked through it. She looked around. "Sasmootch?" she called for her dog questioningly, when she heard the back door close. "Hello?" she asked. "Is someone there?" she cautiously left the front door, and upon entering the living room to the right, she craned her neck, trying to see into the রান্নাঘর around the corner. "Dad, is that chou?" walking around the corner, she saw her dog sitting on the hard wood floor, waiting for her.

"Oh Sasmoa. Was that আপনি making all that noise? আপনি silly dog." she said, petting the animal furiously. After letting the dog out into the large, white fenced backyard, she walked back through the living room to the stairs, and up to her room. It was right at the শীর্ষ step, and at the end of the long hallway.

Dropping her backpack at the door, she plopped on her পরাকাষ্ঠা and black mixed bedspread. Closing her brown eyes, she began to doze off, thinking of রশ্মি Stevens. The hottest guy in school always gave her good dreams.

"Honey!"

She groaned in response.

"Honey?"

She heard Doctor Ross call her again, louder, this time he was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Hun, it's time for dinner." Her eyes jerked open. seven o'four her clock's face said. Oh gosh, she thought, I was asleep, for what, 2 hours? wide awake, she pulled her shoulder length, dark brown hair back, trying to tame the frizz as she glided down the stairs.

She wasn't tall, but she wasn't short. Nor could she have ever expected what was going to happen to her in the পরবর্তি few days...

"Morning." Doctor Ross said, placing the last dish on the table. She froze and stared. "Everything okay?" he inquired cheerfully.

"You actually made dinner? And the table?" she was stupefied as she watched her dad সরানো about. Slowly Grace took her seat. "Everything okay with you?"

"Yeah, well your mother did teach this old dog a few tricks." he said, sitting down himself. "Won't আপনি যোগদান us?" he asked glancing over Grace's head.

"Dad, I am. Glad to see how easy I am to ignore." she grumble, grabbing some রুটি from the fancy serving dish. Not noticing that the good china was out.

"Nah, I'm not hungry." a young boy answered.

"What the...?" Grace looked over her shoulder with a piece of রুটি hanging from her mouth. She gazed at Robin, who was in his disguise. He was leaning up against the door frame, watching over the whole room.

"Uh, dad. Who's that?" she pointed a fork over her shoulder, forcing herself to smile.

"Oh, this is...um..." Doctor Ross stared at Robin, motioning with his hand.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Caleb," he slowly said, amused. It then donged on him, that even though he had explained as much as he could about the situation to Ross, he never gave the Doctor his alias. He knew ব্যাটম্যান would not have been pleased, but still, he was humored.

He had a right to be...right? This was his chill time, and আপনি know, maybe he was just a little আরো special than the others. It's not like they would be able to hold a cover, stay alert, অথবা react in a nanosecond like he could.

"Oh, yes... Grace, this is Caleb." Ross stammered.

"Shure he is." she muttered to herself.

The rest of the meal was quiet while Ross and Grace ate, and "Caleb" surveyed the scene.

The dining room was to the left when আপনি walk in through the front door. It was good sized, had a large oak টেবিল in the center. The টেবিল itself could have sat eight, if the leaf was in place. There were a few very decorative chairs sitting around it. Even fewer highly decorated serving dishes, plates, and pieces of silverware which were all placed on the table. The white tablecloth was hidden under as many place mats as there were places. Which there were 6 of to be exact.

After the meal...

"Okay go on, scat!" Ross commanded, verbally shooing Grace and Caleb out of the dining room. "I'm cleaning up. Um, Caleb আপনি can watch some TV if আপনি want. And Grace আপনি start on your homework young lady."

Caleb, leaving his post on the door frame, he casually followed Grace to the living room. Collapsing on a plush, expensive, leather sofa, he kicked his feet up on the short টেবিল in the center of the rectangular room. Grace sat down on her own chair, grabbed the remote, and turned on the wide screen TV. She didn't know what was on, and it was a commercial.

"So, who the heck are you?" she asked, not even glancing at Caleb.

"Caleb Lyman. Uh, you're dad's fostering me while the orphanage gets remodeled." He answered, turning his head to look at her. "it should only take a few days." He muttered, mostly trying to convince himself that this would be over soon.

"Oh the orphanage? Well isn't that sweet..." she asked defensively.

"Shouldn't আপনি be getting to your homework anyway?" he hinted to her, not fazed দ্বারা her outburst.

"Shouldn't আপনি mind your own business? And take those stupid glasses off, you're inside genius." Grace slumped deep into her leather chair, turning the volume up to the প্রদর্শনী that she wasn't even watching.

Convinced that the conversation was over, Caleb glanced at the TV, his thin, lack eyebrow cocked. "You watch this often?"

"All the time." she muttered stifling a yawn.

He looked from her back to the screen. Standing, he walked behind her on is way to the window. "Don't fall asleep...I watch আপনি when আপনি sleep." he whispered to the back of her head as she began to doze.

"What?" her eyes shot open.

"Made আপনি look." he teased leaning over her to grab the remote.

"Hey! Give it back!" she said, diving for his hand.

"You need to get to work on your homework." Caleb hid his arms behind his back.

"You need to stay out of my business!" she scolded, trying to reach around him.

"So then আপনি haven't told your dad about that guy." he swooped under her, jumped up, and landed squatting on the couch.

"What guy!"

"Yeah, what guy?" Grace froze in horror staring at her dad. Ross stared back, his gaze demanding answers.

Caleb chuckled, tuned the TV off, and fell back, sitting on the sofa. If he had a sister, he would treat he something like this. And she would respond something like that... He turned his head to watch her storm up the stairs. Her glare bounced off his shining glasses.