Gotham's Spider

23

After her date with MJ, and she had gotten back to the manor, she had been bombarded with questions. She answered all of them... well most of them, and went to her room as fast as she could. She had an amazing date with MJ, and she just needed to bask in the glory of him also wanting to go on another date. She ended up staying up late texting Ned all about it. 

He was very happy for her.

When Penny had finally fallen asleep it had been 3 in the morning, so when she woke up for school, she was very tired, and not happy about waking up at all. Though to cheer herself up, she thought about her date. She ended up in the dinning room earlier than usual, but she couldn't help it. Thinking about her date made her happy, and for her, it's a proven fact that when she's happy, she goes faster. 

Though when she stepped into the dinning room, she saw someone she didn't expect to see. She saw Bruce sitting at the head of the table, talking with Alfred. 

Penny smiles, "Good morning Bruce."

He looks up and smiles at her, "Good morning Penny."

"When did you get back?" She asks, taking a seat next to him.

"Late last night. I was going to come up and talk to you, but the boys told me about your date."

Penny blushes in embarrassment and chuckles, "They did?"

"Yeah... it sounds like you had a good time."

She smiles once more, "Yeah. I did."

The two fell into a comfortable silence. Bruce liked how happy she seems, especially with everything that's been going on. Her moving in, him leaving, the young justice arriving, him and Alfred wanting to buy her clothes and things, and well, the boys' overprotectiveness. He couldn't help but feel happy that a young girl he views as his daughter, is happy here, or even happy at all. Penny was happy because of her date, and the fact that Bruce seemed to not want to go all overprotective on her and MJ. Of course that wasn't the case, but he wasn't going to ruin his relationship with her just because he didn't want her to date. Honestly he didn't even want any of the boys to date, but he wouldn't stop them, so he's not going to stop her. 

When everyone was in the dinning room for breakfast, it was revealed that the Young Justice would be leaving today, so they wouldn't be watching over the Wayne's while they were at school. Apparently the men who had threatened the Wayne's had been apprehended by the police, so they were no longer a threat. 

Penny could tell that everyone was a little sad about this, they had made some friends with the young heroes. Penny although she had enjoyed some of the young heroes company, was somewhat relived that they were leaving. I mean wouldn't you if you had accidently used your powers a few times, but they didn't know it was you, and thought the guys that wanted to harm you did it, and then basically locked you away for a day because of it?

After breakfast, when it was time for everyone to head to school, something happened. Bruce went with them. Penny and the boys were confused. For, why would Bruce be coming with them to school? Penny didn't say anything, but once they all were inside the limo, that's when Dick decided to say something.

"Um Bruce, why are you coming with us?"

"I have a meeting with Penny's school about documents that need to be filed, and I also have a meeting with her guidance counselor."

Penny froze, she had completely forgotten about the fact that her school wanted to talk to Bruce because of what had happened in her last home. She hadn't been told or emailed by her guidance counselor that the meeting would be today, so she wondered if she had to go. The boys also wondered why the guidance counselor would want to meet with Bruce, but they didn't really question it when they saw how she froze.

"Bruce, do I have to go to this meeting too?"

Bruce turned to her with a surprised look on his face, "Yes, where you not told?"

"No, I wasn't. I didn't even get an email. Honestly that doesn't surprise me though. They're a great school for academics and such, but they've never been very good at telling parents or students anything that's going on."

Bruce looked surprised, but didn't comment on that. "Ok, well the meeting is after I have to do all the paperwork, so you'll go to class, and then be called down for the meeting."

"Great, I really didn't want to miss engineering design class."

... 

Penny was sitting in her second period class when her teacher got a call, it was the call saying Penny was needed in the office. Penny took her things, and walked to the office. When she got there, she was pointed at the guidance counselor's office. She walked in and saw Bruce looking a bit pissed and the guidance counselor in the middle of saying something. 

Obviously Penny walked in on a moment Mr. Carlson didn't want Penny to hear. 

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Mr. Carlson sat back in his chair, and calmed himself a bit, "No, please come in Penny."

Bruce's eyes scrunched at the man, he didn't like what he had been saying to him, and he wasn't about to have the man brush it off like it was nothing because Penny walked in the room. He shouldn't have been talking to him yet, so Penny has a right to know what he said.

So calmly Bruce replied, "Actually that's not the case. You did interrupt something, something that shouldn't have been said whether or not you are in the room."

"Mr. Wayne, lets calm down."

"I am calm, besides, Penny has a right to know what has been said about her, Mr. Carlson." Mr. Carlson didn't say anything. So Bruce took it upon himself to say what the ass wouldn't. "Mr. Carlson was just saying how he thought you were a smart student, but apparently you're not because you didn't have the sense to say anything about the previous abuse you were receiving from your last foster home."

Penny was stunned. 

She didn't know what to think, or even how to respond.

"Wha... what?" she asks incredulously.

In attempts to make himself seem like a better guy, Mr. Carlson spoke, "I was just wondering why you didn't say anything since you're a very smart girl."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. 

Did this man just say that?

"Oh. My. God. I can't believe this. You're asking me why I didn't say anything about the abuse? Maybe it was because I was threatened," Penny said getting angrier and louder b y the second. "Also. It's not my responsibility to go looking for help when I so obviously needed it. I came to school with bruises and injuries for years, and no one ever did anything. I made up the worst excuses possible and no one here ever cared. It took you and the school to get a new teacher, to finally realize what had been going on. And it was her first time seeing a bruise. You had seen plenty. I didn't say anything because I was scared, because when I had gone looking for help in the past, no one helped or listened, and in the end I got hurt because of it. You cannot put the blame on me for something that isn't my fault. You are a terrible counselor and a terrible person. You tried making me, a victim, seem like it was my fault. When it's not. I am done, and I am definitely not doing school therapy, you ASS!"

By the end, Penny's face was red in anger, and she was standing. Bruce stood up and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. 

"I think we're done here. Come on Penny, I'm taking you home."

Mr. Carlson sat there shocked. 

Penny walked out of the room, and before Bruce did, he said something to Mr. Carlson, "I'm going to the school board with this. This was completely unacceptable, and you do not deserve to be here."

He hadn't meant for Penny to hear it, but obviously since he doesn't know about her super hearing, he thought she had been out of ear shot. Penny smiled slightly, feeling a bit better. She couldn't help but feel warm over the fact that Bruce cared for her.