DISCLAIMERS

1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.

2. This is a femslash story. If you don't like that sort of thing, you won't like this.

Dinah Gordon-Lance sat in bed, waiting impatiently for her wife to stop working. The blonde was used to it by now, of course, but it did not make the waiting any easier. Being married to the main information broker of the entire superhero community meant alot of time waiting for the work to be done. Which it never was, obviously.

Sighing, Dinah panned her eyes around the bedroom halfheartedly, trying to think of something to occupy her mind until the time came for her beautiful redhead to join her. She could read a book... but no, she was never one for reading. Why read when she could work out? She could recite fighting techniques in her head... but no, she knew them all already. Memorising what she had already memorised was just tedious. She could get up and check on Laurel... but no, Dinah knew their little girl was sound asleep in her room.

Dinah rolled her eyes. She loved Barbara more than life itself, but her constant work really grated on the blonde. The former masked crimefighter's dedication was one of the reasons Dinah loved her, of course, but everyone needed downtime. There was a reason the League had recently drafted Snapper Carr to be the Oracle's assistant. Dinah needed private time with her wife!

This was ridiculous. Babs was hardly an inattentive lover, but they were married: Dinah wanted her beloved in their bed all night, every night. Not just for sex... she just wanted them to be together in their bed like normal couples.

Resting her head on her pillow, Dinah resigned herself to the fact that Babs was not coming to bed anytime soon. The longer Dinah lingered on the situation, the more sour she would get. But she swore that, once Barbara did come to bed, she would grab hold of the redhead and not let her go until the next day's afternoon.

Yes, Babs needed to know the world could get along just fine without her for...

"Mommy?"

Dinah darted her head up at the little voice. There, in the partially-open doorway, was her and Barbara's four-year-old daughter. "Laurel?" Dinah asked. "What are you doing up?" So much for her being sound asleep.

Rubbing her eyes, Laurel shuffled towards the double bed. "I can't sleep."

Sitting up fully, Dinah tried to keep her voice low so Babs was not disturbed. "What's wrong, sweetie? Did you have a nightmare?"

The little girl shook her head. "I was just thinking... "

Dinah reached out and stroked Laurel's hair. "About what?"

Laurel looked up at her mum. "Mommy, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," replied Dinah, smiling lovingly. "What's wrong?"

"I can't help thinking... " the small blonde began. "Mommy, why is Momma always sitting down?"

Dinah blinked. That she was not expecting. At least... not now. "W... what do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

"Momma never stands up," said Laurel. "She's nearly always in her special chair. Why?"

Dinah paused. She really did not want to deal with this now. And yet...

Both she and Babs knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time before Laurel began wondering about her mother's physical condition. The Gordon-Lances had discussed it sometime ago, deciding that when the subject came up, they would not skirt the issue. Not only that, but Babs insisted that her wife was free to tell Laurel on her own. It warmed Dinah's heart that Babs trusted her enough to not need the redhead's "assistance" in explaining things.

That said, for a moment, Dinah considered putting it off - at least until the morning. But she knew Laurel would lay awake all night, the question going round her head over and over. "Laurel," Dinah began, reaching out for the girl. "Come up." Obeying her mother, Laurel climbed onto the bed and into Dinah's arms. Dinah pulled their girl close and snug, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "Momma... was hurt, a long time ago."

"How?" came the little voice.

Sighing, Dinah closed her eyes at the mental images that question brought up. "That's not important," she eventually said. "All that you need to know was that she was hurt and... she can't... she can't walk anymore."

Laurel gasped. "She can't?! How come?! What happened?!"

Dinah clenched her jaw. Their daughter was not making this easy. But she knew she would just keep asking. Laurel was as stubborn as Dinah herself. "A very bad man hurt her... he... he... " What could she say? That the sweet little girl's birth mother was shot at point blank range, shattering her spine?!

"Who, Mommy?"

"That's not important," Dinah repeated. "All you need to know is that he was a very, very, very bad man. He... attacked Momma and injured her."

"That's horrible!" cried Laurel. "Why?"

"Because he's a horrible person," said Dinah sadly. "He... enjoys hurting people."

Laurel's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her skull. "That's horrible!" she yelped again. "Why didn't you stop him - save Momma?!"

Dinah's heart stung. Though it was completely illogical, she often asked herself that. She and Babs barely knew eachother back then, but the love they had for eachother now made Dinah curse herself for indeed not being there to save her beloved. It made no sense whatsoever, but Dinah blamed herself. Blamed herself for wasting her time with Ollie when her true love needed her.

"I... I wasn't there at the time," she said eventually. Explaining she and Babs were not together then would be too confusing for the four-year-old. "Uncle Bruce saved her."

"Yay!" squealed Laurel. "Uncle Bruce and Auntie Diana saved Momma!"

Smiling ruefully, Dinah continued. "Anyway, Momma was hurt, and she can't walk anymore. That's why she's in her special chair."

Laurel looked sad again. "Momma can't walk... that's horrible... "

Dinah stroked her daughter's hair again. "But we still love Momma."

"Of course!" Laurel rubbed her eyes again. Dinah wondered if it was just tiredness, or if she was trying not to cry. "Will... will she ever walk again?"

Now Dinah struggled to keep tears away herself. "I don't know, sweetie," she said softly. "Maybe one day. I hope so."

"Me too... " said Laurel. "What was Momma like before she got hurt?"

"She was... " Dinah paused again, thinking back to Barbara's crimefighting days. "... beautiful. She was beautiful. She could run, jump... she was incredible."

"Jump?"

Dinah nodded. "Like she was flying. She was amazing."

"I wanna see that!" Laurel, her eyes twinkling. "I wanna see Momma fly!"

"Me too, darling. We can only hope." Dinah kissed her daughter's forehead, then looked at her. Laurel looked confused and tired. Dinah sighed - it was alot for the girl to take in. "Would you like to sleep in our bed tonight, sweetie?"

"Can I... ?" came the quiet response.

"Of course," Dinah smiled. She shifted the girl over until she was lying in the middle of the bed, then gently placed the covers over her. "If you like, we can talk more about this tomorrow," she said. "But right now, try and get some sleep, 'kay?"

"OK, Mommy," Laurel whined. After a moment, her tiny voice spoke again. "I'm sorry Momma got hurt."

Stroking their daughter's hair, tears began tricking down Dinah's cheek. "Me too, sweetie... me too."

Quickly, Laurel fell asleep. She was clearly exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Dinah sat motionless, her thoughts strangely running a mile a minute and at a snail's pace at the same time.

Ten minutes later, the bedroom door opened again, and Barbara quietly wheeled in. "Oh!" she exclaimed quietly. "I didn't think you'd still be awake." Dinah simply sat there, frowning.

Babs seemed to notice her demeaneur. "Dinah? Are you alright? Look, I'm sorry I took so long, but... " She stopped, clearly seeing the small lump in the middle of the bed. "Why is Laurel here?" she whispered.

Silence.

Barbara wheeled to Dinah's side of the bed, until they were inches apart. "Dinah... what's wrong?"

Dinah continued looking ahead. "I want to kill him."

The redhead blinked. "What? Who?"

"Him. The clown."

Barbara instantly froze. "Honey... ?"

"I want to kill him. For what he did to you. I want him to suffer. I want to rip his heart out... rip that smile off his fucking face." It was a good thing Laurel was a very heavy sleeper.

Barbara looked shocked. "What's happened?"

It was then that Dinah looked at her wife. "Laurel... she asked about you. About your condition."

"Oh God... "

Crying uncontrollably, Dinah began trembling. "He hurt you... he nearly killed you. He... he... I want to kill him. Make him pay for what he did to you. For... hurting the woman I love."

"Darling... " Babs said quietly. "Please... "

"I want him dead," continued Dinah. "I want to kill him. Sometimes... " She took a deep breath, blinking as more tears poured. "... I really think I could."

Barbara took her wife's hand in hers, holding it tightly. "Dinah, please... calm down."

"If I ever got the chance... " said Dinah slowly, "I honestly don't know if I could stop myself. A strong enough Cry could shatter his sku... "

"Dinah, stop!" interrupted Babs, her voice barely remaining quiet. "You know you can't. It's not worth it... he's not worth it."

"Not worth it?!" seethed Dinah. "He paralysed you! He nearly killed you! You... " Dinah lowered her head, resting it against their connected hands. "You were nearly taken away from me. I wouldn't have found the love of my life... "

Her own eyes watering, Barbara kissed her spouse's knuckles. "Calm down. I'm here. I'll always be here."

Their eyes connecting, the two stayed in silence for a moment. "I'm sorry... " Dinah eventually said. "I just love you so much... I want him to pay... "

"It's alright," Babs soothed. "Just calm down."

The room was silent again for a few moments. Dinah indeed needed to compose herself, and was thankful her wife was giving her time to do so. "A... " she eventually began after wiping her face of tears. "Anyway... Laurel was asking about your condition. I... I did the best I could... "

"How did she take it?" asked Babs.

"Better than we could've hoped," Dinah said, her voice still slightly choked. She looked over at their sleeping princess. "That's a smart girl, our daughter. She... did ask how you were before... well, before... you know."

Nodding, Barbara kissed the blonde's hand again. "Nothing too embarrassing, I hope."

"I said you were beautiful," said Dinah lovingly.

"So you exaggerated," said Barbara. Dinah knew the redhead was teasing only to calm her down, to bring her back from the despair she was feeling. As the Oracle, Barbara knew everything... including how to comfort the Black Canary. For that, Dinah was eternally grateful.

Silently, relunctantly, they seperated their hands and Babs wheeled around to her side of the bed. Once the redhead was under the sheets, she reached across the middle, remaining clear of Laurel, and took Dinah's waiting hand again. "I'm sorry for just now... " Dinah whispered. "I just can't bear the thought of you being in pai... "

"Sshhh," Barbara interrupted. After sighing, she spoke again. "So... I was beautiful, eh?"

Dinah smiled. She should have known her beloved would not let her linger in pity. "Still are," she said, bringing Barbara's hand to her lips. "Always will be."

THE END