Brothers In Arms (Batfamily) - Completed

Chapter 21 ~ Kidnapping

Alice sat at her self-proclaimed seat in the classroom, the one next to the window at the back of the class. She liked this spot because the students in the front rows were hiding her from the teacher's sight, enabling her to freely get lost in her thoughts. She had adapted to Gotham Academy, even though she was still impressed to walk past the tall gate every morning. She had struggled at first to keep her grades up but she proved herself to be really motivated and had worked very hard to now be amongst the best students of her class. She had also been helped by Tim Drake, the teen who had guided her through the whole academy on her first day.

They always stayed at least one or two more hours every days after class so he could help her study. She had difficulties in math, but Tim had explained to her everything and he kept on doing it. He also turned out to become her confident. She was telling him about her life at the orphanage, that even though she tried to get to know the others she was still being put aside but, as she said, it didn't matter because it was allowing her to read more. She also told him that the vigilante Red Robin was visiting her from time to time. She told him he was very nice and surprisingly young. Tim had laughed and smiled at her.

The young man had promised her, during that terrible night after the very first of a series of robbing, that he would take care of her and that's what he was doing. He was impressed by her abilities and how she was coping with growing up on her own. He kept on blaming himself for her mother's death, telling himself that he should have taken the bullet instead of her and sometimes, he was still haunted by it, the scene replaying incessantly in his nightmares... We could say that this was a part of everything which was keeping him up at night, explaining perfectly well why he was beyond sleep deprived.

"Hey, wake up!" the young girl said as she shook him by the shoulder. Tim hadn't even noticed he was on the verge of falling asleep.

He raked his hand through his hair and sighed while he stretched his arms, slowly, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry, it's okay," she smiled, brushing a strand of her long blond hair out of her face and pulled it behind her ear. She stared at the manual which was lying open in front of her. "Could you explain it again, please?"

Tim looked at the exercise and read it cautiously. Alice was doing some grammar exercise in French, language in which Tim was nearly fluent. He explained to her all the rules that she had to follow for the 'passé composé'. She listened, carefully taking in notes everything Tim was teaching her. They were always sitting at the same table in the library when they were staying after their classes. They both chose the library because, first of all, it was a rather quiet place but also because it was one of the most beautiful room in all of Gotham Academy. There were four massive wooden table surrounded by bookshelves full of books on different subjects. The library was on two levels and there was an opening on the second one so you could so what was happening downstairs. This place was a dream for all of those who love books.

"I think I'm starting to get it," Alice suddenly whispered with a proud tone. Tim looked at her with a warm smile. She gave him a smile back. The little girl then glanced at the big clock above the librarian's desk. "Oh, I'm gonna have to go already..."

She stood up and packed all her school stuff. "Do you want me to ask Alfred to drive you back to the orphanage?"

"No it's okay," she smiled, "Miss Emma said she would pick me up. Besides, you told me you have things to do tonight."

"Alright then," he replied as he handed her the French manual, which she slipped inside her navy blue backpack.

"Bye Tim, see you tomorrow," she waved happily before she left the library. She crossed the small park which was separating the Academy from the library, catching a little squirrel quickly climbing a tall oak, its mouth full with chestnuts. She grinned at this sight. After that, she walked inside the impressive building which was the Academy to finally reach the gate where she noticed that Miss Emma, the orphanage's director, wasn't here yet. She sighed lowly and sat on a small wooden bench located just in front of the tall wall which was surrounding the whole Academy and on the right of the massive gate. As she sat, she removed her backpack from her shoulders and let it flop limply on the dry concrete ground.