mad as daisies ᵗⁱᵗᵃⁿˢ

13 | the one and only donna

Eleanor stood next to Dick — her arm linked through his to help keep her stable on her heeled boots — in a suede brown dress and her leather jacket and a fresh pair of Nike pros under it.

Dick had to be a lot more patient with the teenager, but understood there was little chance she'd go with the others when she'd known him the longest.

Dick knocked on the door and in only a few seconds, Donna Troy opened it. "I quit." He told her.

"Great to see you too." Donna smiled at him before looking at the pink haired girl. "Eleanor?"

"D-Donna!" The girl tried to smile. She didn't know if she smiled. Eleanor gave her a very quick hug before grasping Dick's arm once again.

Donna gave the teenager a concerned look.

Donna stepped out of the building closing the door as she did so. "I'm late."

Dick and Eleanor stood, watching the woman. They didn't know if they should follow or if Donna didn't want them there.

She turned around to look at them. "You coming or not?"

The two followed, catching up with Donna. Dick tightened his arm around the pink haired one, trying to make sure her legs didn't give out or she didn't stumble.

"I thought you already quit Batman." Donna said to the man in the middle as they walked down the cold streets. She looked at Dick as she adjusted her bag strap on her shoulder.

"Not Batman this time." He spoke, Donna gave him a confused look. "Robin."

"Okay. What happened?"

Eleanor stayed silent, assuming her input was not needed in the conversation and that her attempts to speak would take up more time then anyone would want.

"I couldn't get a handle on the violence. It was getting worse."

"It's hard to imagine."

"I know. I went cold turkey, burned the suit."

"Wow! That's dramatic. Mine's in the closet. Those things are expensive."

Eleanor furrowed her brows. She nudged Dick. He looked down at her. "B-bur-burned th-the suit?"

"You were unconscious." He told her.

Eleanor nodded, accepting his answer. "H-he'll b-b-be hur-hurt."

"I don't care what Bruce thinks."

Eleanor shook her head. "N-not B-Bruce."

"Oh. He doesn't need to know." Dick told the girl. He proceeded to turn to Donna for a short second. "So, how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Quit."

"I didn't quit." Donna said, pulling the three to a stop. Eleanor stepped closer to Dick as someone nearly walked into them. "I just stopped."

"How is that different?"

"You'll figure it out. Really." Donna promised the man. "The hardest part is that it just takes time."

Dick nodded as he took in the words. "You mind if we hand at your place for a while? I'm fine sleeping on the couch or the floor."

"It's got your names on it. Eleanor you can share with me. Stay as long as you both need, as long as you've still got game."

"Tha-thank y-you." The teenager spoke, hoping she smiled. She rubbed her head against her shoulder when the buzzing picked up again, it seemed to flip between being louder and quieter.

Donna grinned at the girl before running, jumping and flipping.

Eleanor took a deep breath, unthreading her arm from Dick's. She gently shut her eyes to concentrate better before (painfully) appearing beside Donna.

"We're waiting!" The older woman shouted to Dick. "Didn't know you could do that, Small Shelby."

Despite being convinced her name was Rigby, she smiled. The familiarity of the the words was calming and easy on her mind and ears.

Soon enough Dick was in front of them.

"Oh, I've missed you, Boy Wonder." Donna said.

"Oh ho! That's my favourite one."

Donna shared a small laugh, catching the teenager as her legs began to wobble. Dick stepped towards them, carefully taking Eleanor from the woman.

"All right, look.  I've got a showing of some of my work later. Why don't you come along and hang out with some fabulous, normal people? How does that sound? And you two can fill me in on what's going on with you." She said, glancing at Eleanor.

"Great. Too much?"

"Yeah, a little bit."

"Yeah."

"Yeah. And Eleanor, you don't have to come because from the looks of it you're not doing great."

"Tha-thanks a-again."

"Why am I doubting this idea already?" Donna questioned to herself as Dick and Eleanor walked with her.

In the end Eleanor did end up getting dropped off at Donna's. She was exhausted and ended up trying to sleep in Donna's bed, like the adults told her.

She had Brooklyn Nine-Nine playing in the background and had changed into an oversized t-shirt Donna lend her as well as some cotton shorts.

Sleep wasn't particularly good. Her mind wandered between terrible events, as her mind slowly and painfully unscrambled her memories. The traumatic ones played loudly in her sleep.

She moved around in her sleep, whimpering and mumbling until Donna woke her up.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Ni-n-nightm-mare."

Donna nodded, laying down on the other side of the mattress. "Wake me up if you need me, or Dick is on the sofa if you're more comfortable. He told me what happened yesterday and the things with your uncle. I'm sorry, Small Shelby. For you and Nath."

"I-it's no-not your f-fault."

Donna smiled at the teenager before turning her lamp off. "Go sleep, kid."

"Y-yes ma'am."

Donna chuckled lowly, bringing the duvet over them as they turned there backs to one another and got comfortable. Allowing slumber to fall over them.

Eleanor found that she slept better when there was someone else in the bed — it didn't tend to matter who it was.