Fic: Life Gives Do-Overs (Roy Harper/Stephanie Brown)
Title: Life Gives Do-Overs
Author: milleniumrex
Recipient: kirax2
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1723
Characters: Roy Harper/Stephanie Brown, Lian Harper, Carrie Kelly
Author's Notes: My Remix fic. You all guessed this is me. Mostly canon, but diverges at the obvious point *stabs Cry for Justice right in its eye*
Summary: It was a painful part of her past, but she never let it define her. Stephanie Brown had no idea how that long-ago decision would one day change her life.
She wasn't old, not really. Just a few months past thirty. But it was easy to forget this when life was as crazy as it had been lately. With a stepdaughter about to enter her senior year of high school, a new baby on the way, a husband quickly coming up on his first mid-life crisis, and the usual craziness that her shifts at Gotham General brought, Stephanie Brown often felt like she was aging way too fast. She was pretty sure that Lian's joyride in the Arrowcar last week had added a few new wrinkles to her face and a few gray hairs to Roy's head. But as crazy as things were sometimes, she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
"Stephanie, you've got to take it easy. Otherwise, you're going to - Are you listening to me?"
"Of course I am, mom!" Steph said as she juggled the phone, her cup of coffee, and her bag of work clothes. "You don't need to worry so much. I'm only six months along, and didn't you work pretty much up till your due date?"
"Yes, but I didn't have a mother nagging me to take it easy. So how are things at home?"
"Good. Lian's been making noises about taking up her dad's costume again, so there's been a little yelling about that, but nothing too bad. Work, on the other hand...is work. I just need to -" Stephanie was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. "Hold on a minute, mom. Someone's knocking."
Steph put down the phone and walked to the door, wondering why the local girl scouts always came to their door right before she had to leave for work. She opened the door to find a girl, about 14, staring at her with a nervous look on her face. She wasn't carrying any cookies, but Steph couldn't shake the feeling she had seen her before, somewhere.
"Are you Stephanie Brown?" the girl asked, with trepidation in her voice, and before Steph could respond, she continued, "Because if you are, then you're...you're my..."
Steph heard her cup of coffee crash to the floor as her mind went blank. She had to take off work today.
-----
"Okay, I think we've got everything on the list." Roy looked at the extensive shopping list Lian had drawn up. "Is it just me, or do I wind up buying these things every single year?"
"It's high school, dad. Most of these will be out of style by October. But just think - this is the last year you have to take me back-to-school shopping!"
"Yeah..." Roy said with a sad tinge in his voice. It was hard to believe that his little girl was going to be off to college next year. "Of course, then I get to start paying tuition."
"You can't win." Lian giggled as she gave her dad a quick hug. "So, have you given any more thought to our little conversation?"
"That wasn't so much a conversation as me yelling 'No, no, damn it, no!' at the top of my lungs for an hour."
"Yeah, I know. I was there." Lian pouted. "Come on! I've been training with you since I was old enough to hold a bow! When are you going to let me prove myself?"
"You know the rule, kiddo. Once you're on your own, if you want to join the...family business, I'll help you. But as long as you're under my roof - "
"I know, I know. Your goal is to get me through high school without any scars or bullet wounds." Lian muttered. "I get it. It still sucks."
"Besides, I'm doing you a favor." Roy smirked. "Have you heard the horror stories coming out of the Teen Titans these days? That Robin's a real pit bull."
"Pfft. I could take him."
Roy's cell phone rang. "Hold that thought, Li. It's mom." Roy picked up Steph's call, immediately hearing that something was off in her voice. "Wait, who's over? I'll be right there."
"Dad? What's going on? Is mom okay?"
"She's fine. But we've got to get home. There's...there's something I never told you about your mom. I'll fill you in on the way."
-----
Steph listened to the girl share her story, her heart breaking with every word. Carrie Kelly, she said her name was. She always hoped, more than anything, that the child she had given up would find a good life somewhere, the life she deserved. And it seemed the family she wound up with was everything she could have asked for. But life had a way of playing cruel jokes on those who didn't deserve it.
"It was a truck. The driver was drunk, and he plowed into the wrong lane. I was in the back seat, and I got hurt in the crash, but mom and dad were in the front. They...he hit them point blank. They never had a chance. After I got out of the hospital, I went to live with my dad's brother. He was really busy with work, and he didn't really want to take me in. He was never around. So I decided to poke around, see if I could find out who gave me up for adoption. Just in case...never mind. It's stupid."
Carrie got up to leave, and Stephanie gently put her hand on her arm. "No. Please. Sit down, and tell me why you're here."
"I was just hoping you - you might want me back. I don't have a family now, not really. So I looked you and my birth father up. He's in prison - "
Big surprise, Steph thought to herself.
" - but I saw you were doing okay. So I thought...I don't even know what I was thinking. You've got a family, a career - " Carrie motioned to Steph's stomach. " - and you're obviously going to be really busy in a few months. It was a dumb idea to come here."
Carrie got up to leave. Before Steph knew what she was doing, she had stood up and wrapped the girl in a tight hug.
"You don't know how long I've hoped that I'd see you again some day. Obviously I never wanted something like this to happen, but you're here now. Please don't go. Stay, and we'll figure this out."
"But your husband - "
"Is the kindest, most decent man I've ever met. He knows everything, and he wouldn't want you to leave either. And besides - I've got him wrapped around my little finger." Steph grinned at her daughter.
Tentatively, Carrie smiled back at her mother. They had the same smile.
-----
"Okay, thanks, Dick." Roy turned to Steph as he hung up the phone. "The girl's story checks out. Everything happened as she said it did."
"You ran a background check on my daughter?" Steph put her hands on her hips. "A little paranoid, are we?"
"Better safe than sorry. You know how it is in the life. You can never take anything at face value. Except this, apparently. Wow. She really showed up at the door out of nowhere?"
"Yeah, and she was really distraught. The guy she's living with right now isn't abusive or anything, just a punch-clock dad. She deserves better than that. She deserves - "
"Us. You want her to move in, don't you?"
"I mean, it's the right thing to do, isn't it? We're her family. The only one she's got now."
Roy cocked an eyebrow at Steph. "You sort of sound like you're trying to convince yourself, not me."
"That's because I am." Steph played with her hair nervously. "I mean, this is the baby girl I gave up when I was a kid! I never thought I'd see her again, let alone be in the position to get her back. What if I let her down again? What if - "
"Steph." Roy stepped closer to his wife, running his hand through her hair. "You're an amazing mother. You gave her up back then because you knew you weren't able to give her what she needed. But you're not that same person. You've been an incredible mom to Lian, and if Carrie stays with us, I know you'll be an amazing mother to her too."
Steph looked up at Roy, her eyes glistening with tears. "I can't believe this is happening. It feels like some crazy cosmic do-over."
"Maybe that's what it is. A second chance."
-----
Lian looked over at the younger girl, who hadn't said a word since she'd sat down next to her.
"So...my birth mom blew up a country."
Carrie looked up at Lian in surprise. "What?"
"Yeah. A whole country! So if you ever need to commiserate about family craziness, I've got a story or two."
"Thanks." Carrie said nervously. "Your dad...is he a nice guy?"
"He's the best in the world. He's always there for me, even when I'm screwing up. And my mom's pretty cool too. You'll see. This family's crazy sometimes, but they're great."
The two girls stopped talking when they heard the door to the kitchen open. Roy and Steph walked out, sitting across from the girls.
"Okay, we've talked it over - although there was really never any question - and we'd like you to stay with us, Carrie." Steph smiled.
Roy nodded. "I'm friends with some of the best lawyers in the country, and they should be able to get custody fairly easily, given your current situation. Judges are usually sympathetic to the birth parent in cases like this. I know we can't replace your mom and dad, but I hope we can give you a place that feels like home."
Carrie grinned and threw her arms around Steph and Roy. "Thank you so much. I thought I was crazy coming here, but..."
"Maybe you were supposed to." Steph said. "You're exactly where you should be."
"So..." Lian said, grinning. "When do we let her in on the family business?"
"Wait, family business?" Carrie looked around nervously. "You guys aren't criminals, are you? Does this have something to do with Lian's birth mom blowing up a country?"
"Not quite." Steph laughed. "It's a long story, and we'll have a lot of time to get into it. Welcome home, kiddo."
Author: milleniumrex
Recipient: kirax2
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1723
Characters: Roy Harper/Stephanie Brown, Lian Harper, Carrie Kelly
Author's Notes: My Remix fic. You all guessed this is me. Mostly canon, but diverges at the obvious point *stabs Cry for Justice right in its eye*
Summary: It was a painful part of her past, but she never let it define her. Stephanie Brown had no idea how that long-ago decision would one day change her life.
She wasn't old, not really. Just a few months past thirty. But it was easy to forget this when life was as crazy as it had been lately. With a stepdaughter about to enter her senior year of high school, a new baby on the way, a husband quickly coming up on his first mid-life crisis, and the usual craziness that her shifts at Gotham General brought, Stephanie Brown often felt like she was aging way too fast. She was pretty sure that Lian's joyride in the Arrowcar last week had added a few new wrinkles to her face and a few gray hairs to Roy's head. But as crazy as things were sometimes, she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
"Stephanie, you've got to take it easy. Otherwise, you're going to - Are you listening to me?"
"Of course I am, mom!" Steph said as she juggled the phone, her cup of coffee, and her bag of work clothes. "You don't need to worry so much. I'm only six months along, and didn't you work pretty much up till your due date?"
"Yes, but I didn't have a mother nagging me to take it easy. So how are things at home?"
"Good. Lian's been making noises about taking up her dad's costume again, so there's been a little yelling about that, but nothing too bad. Work, on the other hand...is work. I just need to -" Stephanie was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. "Hold on a minute, mom. Someone's knocking."
Steph put down the phone and walked to the door, wondering why the local girl scouts always came to their door right before she had to leave for work. She opened the door to find a girl, about 14, staring at her with a nervous look on her face. She wasn't carrying any cookies, but Steph couldn't shake the feeling she had seen her before, somewhere.
"Are you Stephanie Brown?" the girl asked, with trepidation in her voice, and before Steph could respond, she continued, "Because if you are, then you're...you're my..."
Steph heard her cup of coffee crash to the floor as her mind went blank. She had to take off work today.
-----
"Okay, I think we've got everything on the list." Roy looked at the extensive shopping list Lian had drawn up. "Is it just me, or do I wind up buying these things every single year?"
"It's high school, dad. Most of these will be out of style by October. But just think - this is the last year you have to take me back-to-school shopping!"
"Yeah..." Roy said with a sad tinge in his voice. It was hard to believe that his little girl was going to be off to college next year. "Of course, then I get to start paying tuition."
"You can't win." Lian giggled as she gave her dad a quick hug. "So, have you given any more thought to our little conversation?"
"That wasn't so much a conversation as me yelling 'No, no, damn it, no!' at the top of my lungs for an hour."
"Yeah, I know. I was there." Lian pouted. "Come on! I've been training with you since I was old enough to hold a bow! When are you going to let me prove myself?"
"You know the rule, kiddo. Once you're on your own, if you want to join the...family business, I'll help you. But as long as you're under my roof - "
"I know, I know. Your goal is to get me through high school without any scars or bullet wounds." Lian muttered. "I get it. It still sucks."
"Besides, I'm doing you a favor." Roy smirked. "Have you heard the horror stories coming out of the Teen Titans these days? That Robin's a real pit bull."
"Pfft. I could take him."
Roy's cell phone rang. "Hold that thought, Li. It's mom." Roy picked up Steph's call, immediately hearing that something was off in her voice. "Wait, who's over? I'll be right there."
"Dad? What's going on? Is mom okay?"
"She's fine. But we've got to get home. There's...there's something I never told you about your mom. I'll fill you in on the way."
-----
Steph listened to the girl share her story, her heart breaking with every word. Carrie Kelly, she said her name was. She always hoped, more than anything, that the child she had given up would find a good life somewhere, the life she deserved. And it seemed the family she wound up with was everything she could have asked for. But life had a way of playing cruel jokes on those who didn't deserve it.
"It was a truck. The driver was drunk, and he plowed into the wrong lane. I was in the back seat, and I got hurt in the crash, but mom and dad were in the front. They...he hit them point blank. They never had a chance. After I got out of the hospital, I went to live with my dad's brother. He was really busy with work, and he didn't really want to take me in. He was never around. So I decided to poke around, see if I could find out who gave me up for adoption. Just in case...never mind. It's stupid."
Carrie got up to leave, and Stephanie gently put her hand on her arm. "No. Please. Sit down, and tell me why you're here."
"I was just hoping you - you might want me back. I don't have a family now, not really. So I looked you and my birth father up. He's in prison - "
Big surprise, Steph thought to herself.
" - but I saw you were doing okay. So I thought...I don't even know what I was thinking. You've got a family, a career - " Carrie motioned to Steph's stomach. " - and you're obviously going to be really busy in a few months. It was a dumb idea to come here."
Carrie got up to leave. Before Steph knew what she was doing, she had stood up and wrapped the girl in a tight hug.
"You don't know how long I've hoped that I'd see you again some day. Obviously I never wanted something like this to happen, but you're here now. Please don't go. Stay, and we'll figure this out."
"But your husband - "
"Is the kindest, most decent man I've ever met. He knows everything, and he wouldn't want you to leave either. And besides - I've got him wrapped around my little finger." Steph grinned at her daughter.
Tentatively, Carrie smiled back at her mother. They had the same smile.
-----
"Okay, thanks, Dick." Roy turned to Steph as he hung up the phone. "The girl's story checks out. Everything happened as she said it did."
"You ran a background check on my daughter?" Steph put her hands on her hips. "A little paranoid, are we?"
"Better safe than sorry. You know how it is in the life. You can never take anything at face value. Except this, apparently. Wow. She really showed up at the door out of nowhere?"
"Yeah, and she was really distraught. The guy she's living with right now isn't abusive or anything, just a punch-clock dad. She deserves better than that. She deserves - "
"Us. You want her to move in, don't you?"
"I mean, it's the right thing to do, isn't it? We're her family. The only one she's got now."
Roy cocked an eyebrow at Steph. "You sort of sound like you're trying to convince yourself, not me."
"That's because I am." Steph played with her hair nervously. "I mean, this is the baby girl I gave up when I was a kid! I never thought I'd see her again, let alone be in the position to get her back. What if I let her down again? What if - "
"Steph." Roy stepped closer to his wife, running his hand through her hair. "You're an amazing mother. You gave her up back then because you knew you weren't able to give her what she needed. But you're not that same person. You've been an incredible mom to Lian, and if Carrie stays with us, I know you'll be an amazing mother to her too."
Steph looked up at Roy, her eyes glistening with tears. "I can't believe this is happening. It feels like some crazy cosmic do-over."
"Maybe that's what it is. A second chance."
-----
Lian looked over at the younger girl, who hadn't said a word since she'd sat down next to her.
"So...my birth mom blew up a country."
Carrie looked up at Lian in surprise. "What?"
"Yeah. A whole country! So if you ever need to commiserate about family craziness, I've got a story or two."
"Thanks." Carrie said nervously. "Your dad...is he a nice guy?"
"He's the best in the world. He's always there for me, even when I'm screwing up. And my mom's pretty cool too. You'll see. This family's crazy sometimes, but they're great."
The two girls stopped talking when they heard the door to the kitchen open. Roy and Steph walked out, sitting across from the girls.
"Okay, we've talked it over - although there was really never any question - and we'd like you to stay with us, Carrie." Steph smiled.
Roy nodded. "I'm friends with some of the best lawyers in the country, and they should be able to get custody fairly easily, given your current situation. Judges are usually sympathetic to the birth parent in cases like this. I know we can't replace your mom and dad, but I hope we can give you a place that feels like home."
Carrie grinned and threw her arms around Steph and Roy. "Thank you so much. I thought I was crazy coming here, but..."
"Maybe you were supposed to." Steph said. "You're exactly where you should be."
"So..." Lian said, grinning. "When do we let her in on the family business?"
"Wait, family business?" Carrie looked around nervously. "You guys aren't criminals, are you? Does this have something to do with Lian's birth mom blowing up a country?"
"Not quite." Steph laughed. "It's a long story, and we'll have a lot of time to get into it. Welcome home, kiddo."