"I can't believe they actually went through with it," Tim mutters with disbelief as he loosens the red silk tie from around his neck. Dropping it next to the vase holding the creamy pearl white lilies in the center of the table, it coils on top of another discarded tie, this one identical in every way except for its blue shade.
"Yeah, I know," Dick says, unlatching the gold cuff links from his shirt as he relaxes back into the chair. "Till death do us part...I wonder which one of them will act on that promise first?"
Tim laughs heartily as the lights dim in preparation for the couple's first dance. Despite the fact that the ballroom is as large in size as it is regal in scope, a hush comes over the crowd as the first strains of the classical score begins. Lowering his voice slightly, Tim leans forward, plunking his chin onto the palm of his bent arm as he watches the bride's raven hair flutter as she twirls out of the groom's strong arms.
"Does it really matter? One dunk in that pit her father has and they can be back to live another day to make each other miserable."
"It doesn't necessarily work like that, and you guys know it."
The two brothers turn toward the voice with a shared look of amusement: they know the brooding, raspy voice as well as the black hair and crystal blue eyes that all three of them share. Upon seeing who else is now in their company, though, only one of them continues to look entertained.
"It was a joke, Jason," Tim replies with a jesting sarcasm. Raising an eyebrow, he laughs first at the burly man's stiff reaction but continues to smile at the obviously uncomfortable interaction occurring between the other two members of their little party.
"Barbara."
Dick sits up straight in his chair and runs a hand through his hair before reaching forward for his wine glass.
"Dick," the woman responds with the same attempted air of indifference, adjusting her glasses upon the bridge of her nose.
"And she's only partially saying that because it's your name," Jason responds tightly as he regards Dick through hooded eyes.
"Jeez, you guys should just get a room already and be done with it," Tim says, gesturing back and forth between Barbara and Dick as he rises from his seat. Glancing out over the now dispersed crowd, he catches the eye of the man in all black, who places a gentle kiss on the cheek of his new bride before signaling for them to come over.
"We should go over and offer our congratulations," he continues, inclining his head to look behind him. "Where's Damian?"
"What do you mean 'where's Damian'?" Barbara asks, barely hiding the panic that threatens to choke her voice. "He was with you guys."
"Yeah, during the ceremony," Dick states as his eyes begin flitting around the room, weaving in and around the gilded tables and well dressed guests. "He said he needed to deliver some kind of message to you from his mom. I saw you two talking."
"Yes, but that only took like ten seconds. I saw him head back toward you guys!"
"Shut up!" Jason shouts, rolling up the sleeves of his gray shirt. "Fight some other time. Just make sure it's not around me. We've got more important things to deal with right now."
"Jay's right-"
"Don't call me that."
"Jay's right," Dick emphasizes, giving his brother a swift but potent sideways glare. "There are two reasons why Bruce told us to keep tabs on Damian, and either one will end badly for all of the people here." Mirroring Jason, he rolls up his sleeves and looks at each of them in turn. "You guys stay here and try to keep Bruce preoccupied." Three sets of eyes simultaneously turn incredulous. "Just try. I'm going to go find Damian."
"I'm going with you." Barbara twists her hair into a bun, making quick work of destroying the shiny crimson curls that hung just seconds earlier. Removing the purple wrap from around her shoulders, she tosses it across the back of the chair. "Two heads are better than one."
Dick's shoulders drop infinitesimally as he starts for the door, knowing that it's often not worth starting a fight that you know you can't win.
"Fine."
"So what message did Damian give to you earlier?"
Dick pulls the door to another room closed, pivoting to look across the hallway at his companion.
"Message?" Barbara's face contorts momentarily in confusion as she turns from the window, the heavy tapestry curtains still drawn away from the glass by her hands. "Oh...it was just to use the ladies' room on the second floor because the one down here is out of order."
"Hmmm...That's kind of a strange message, isn't it? Especially for him to be delivering?" Dick takes a step toward her, staring down the empty stretch of marbled floor before them. "That didn't strike you as odd?"
"Not at the time." Readjusting the bottom of her long black dress, she precedes ahead of him toward the next room. "The ceremony had just ended - I was caught up in the moment." When she reaches the next door, she pauses, throwing a glance over her shoulder. "Not all of us are scared of weddings, you know." The rattle of her bracelet hitting the brass knob is almost enough to block out the sharpness in her voice...almost.
"Says the girl who just broke off her engagement."
"Oh, yeah," Barbara retorts in the same hushed tone that was purposefully just loud enough for the other to hear, "because that's not something you would know anything about."
The next several minutes are filled with nothing more than the clacking of shoes and the slamming of doors whose rooms supply no secrets.
"Ok, so what now?"
Barbara plops onto the padded bench that makes up the windowsill of the grand window and glances up expectantly, not really needing the suggestions but not wanting to share hers right now either.
"Well..."
A simple three note chime cuts off Dick's stalling. Pulling the phone out of his pocket, his brows shoot up so high that they disappear under the loose strands of hair grazing his forehead.
"Man, I hope he got that on video," he mutters, his eyes still scrolling the screen.
"What?"
"Bruce. Doing the chicken dance."
Barbara covers her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "He didn't..."
"According to Tim, he definitely did." His fingers stop moving across the screen. "But we're running out of time. He's starting to ask questions."
"So he's starting to act like Bruce again," Barbara says, pushing herself up. "I guess we'll-" She cuts off suddenly, biting her lower lip and tightening her eyes.
"What is it?"
"The ladies' room on this floor is connected to the bridal suite," Barbara says, raising her hand to her mouth. She begins running her thumbnail over her lip slowly as her stare focuses in on one of the doors at the opposite end of the hall. "And you did say that Damian had to deliver a message that his mother gave him..."
She stops, turning her eyes to search Dick's expression, reading whether or not they are on the same page.
"You don't think..."
"Who knows? I mean, we both know who we're dealing with here. And Damian is her son..."
Looping the straps of her heels over her fingers, she jogs to catch up to Dick, who is already halfway down the hall. When they reach the wide French-style double doors, he glances at her before turning the knobs, both of them having been in this type of situation enough times before to know that now is the moment to leave all of the past in the past. Giving him a small smile, she nods.
He throws open the doors, and for a few moments, they simply stand there stunned. When Dick finally speaks, his voice matches that of the one in Barbara's mind.
"What the hell?
To be continued…