The Youngest Crock Sister

Our Mother knows

Gotham|
August 4th 1:43

Training has been a lot different the last month due to Bat trying to figure out how to support his newfound Hero-ing for Kids program. Today we meet up at four instead of our normal six. And on Monday we started at midnight. It's been really irregular, and typically taking place later at night, so when I walked into the house at 6:2 7pmevening my mother was ecstatic. She had me and Artemis sit down for dinner together. It was the first family dinner I could remember. We were laughing and joking. We talked about Mom's criminals' anonymous group. And I and Artemis made up some bull crap about what we have been doing over the summer.

I talked about my party life and confessed to not having a drinking or doing drugs while I was at these things. I could see the relief in Mom's eyes when I told her that.

I can't even remember what Artemis came up with, but Mom was happy. With Bruce's pressure to give my mom a chance I've been seeing how much she is trying to make a life for herself and for us, and I think Artemis is seeing it too.

Artemis went out on patrol at 9 like usual, and she isn't back yet.

Speaking of the devil. Just as I was thinking that a green shadowy figure entered the bedroom.

"OH MY GOD! You won't believe what I just did." I shushed her when she started yelling. "Dude. Mom is sleeping. You don't want her coming in here right?"

She started pacing the floor. "Right, right. But I saved Robin, Kid Flash, Aqua Lad, and these two other people that I hadn't heard of before. But me, I saved them from like this robot thing. I was so cool!" She was going on in on about her encounter with the team. I listened with a smile on my face as she talked.

"Oh and Robin, he really is as agile as they say he is." It took a lot to not start laughing. She is fangirling about the boy I've been training with for almost a year now. The boy who makes made-up words, and hangs from chandeliers whenever he gets a chance.

In a second it dawned on me. Batman isn't going to let this be. If my sister really did save Rob's life, she is going to be recruited to be a part of the team, and she's going to accept. And if and when she does I can't keep it a secret that I'm training under Batman. Not if she is on his covert ops team. She is going to hate me. We are supposed to share everything with each other. She told me right away when she became a vigilante, and here I am sitting my my secret life like I don't have one.

The rest of the night was spent with her talking about her parole. We didn't get to sleep till 3. The next day I woke up at the same time as usual to my alarm. Artemis didn't get up till much later. She left the house to go hang out with her friends at around 2:00, so I was left in the house with Mom.

We were sitting in the living room in silence. It wasn't that awkward, but the tension was definitely there. "So Eden, at what time did Artemis get home last night." And there it is.

"You know?" She gave me a look. It looked a lot like Bats' 'really' look but less intense. "I might be new to this whole raising teenagers thing, but I'm not new to the secret nightlives. When I heard about the new vigilante going around the city with a bow and arrows I knew it was your sister immediately." My face went wight. She didn't just know about us sneaking out, but also Artemis being a vigilante.

"You're not mad? I mean at her, for continuing to use her skills?" My breathing got faster and I could feel my heart acting up.

"Not at all. I figured that the two of you would continue to train despite my efforts to change the life that we are living. It has become second nature. And it wasn't till last night when you were talking about the parties that you went to, did I put together that you too were still keeping up with your training." She rolled over closer to me. "I'm not mad or disappointed. I just wish you would have told me."

"I didn't want to stop, and I thought that if I told you would make me quit." She hid some confusion behind her eyes. "I want what's best for you girls, and the life I and your father led wasn't it. I'm so proud of your sister for using her skills for good. And I'm so proud of you for supporting her, and not going into a life of crime yourself." A tear fell down my face as she said that. Never has either of my parents said they were proud of me.

"And if you decide to become a hero too, I won't stop you." The silence returned but the tension was gone. Our mother knew. I don't need to hide it anymore.