After Alfred cleaned her wound and gave some great advice and a cup of coffee she felt a bit better and her anger was muffled under the surface. Alfred was always going to be the best person in the world. She then headed home, knowing her mom already left for a shift at the hospital and prayed for a medically induced coma to take her the moment her head hit the pillows.
The light that seeped through her window was just a reminder that she wasn't in a coma and that Bats asked for her and Tim early in the morning, so she got there around two in the afternoon, Good enough.
He didn't seem to care and nor did she, Bruce informed her Tim was already there and she couldn't help admire her good fortune at the fact that one she was going to the Gotham carnival and two Tim was located on the completely opposite side of the park.
Why were they guarding the Gotham fall carnival? We'll all that fun was sure to attracted unwanted attention and it was said that there could be smuggling going on in the crowds so it was their job to keep an eye out.
Easy enough.
She loved sitting up high even up here she could smell the cotton candy and corndogs, hear the laugher and giggles of people of all ages. This was Gotham after all and people loved to unwind and lose the dark façade, that's why the threat of getting blown up in a Carnesville ride didn't scare people away…at all.
Talk about no fear.
Steph put the binoculars down and lifted her suit to check her wounds, like she said the other night to Tim, they were small but still it was sore, along with the back of her head that may or may not have some unseen bruising.
She put her shirt down and took a deep breath as the air whipped past her. She was still deep down still pissed at Tim but she was also kind of guilty for biting his head off the other night, but she wasn't about to tell him that and give the green light he could treat her like a two year old.
Steph growled pinching the bridge of her nose in aggravation, she was still thinking about him and this is what made her fall for the clueless bastered. Damn her, Damn him!
She really needed to get Tim out of her head, why was it that every few times she thought she might be over him and the fact he was dating Wonder Girl he`d squirm his was back under her skin.
….She just needed to stop thinking right now.
In Gotham it turned dark at seven thirty, but that didn't stop the carnival below, so after the next few hours of waiting and having no real sightings of anything she looked over her shoulder realizing Park Row was only a few blocks down, she could do some real good there instead of sitting on her butt here.
Red Robin on the other side hadn't made a peep to her, so it made the choice to take off all the easier.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Batgirl flipped over the man and landed on another before jumping up and swinging her leg to hit the gang member in the face with her heel.
Stephanie duck when someone punch over her head. She flipped hitting the man in the lower jaw with both heels and propelling herself onto another man and stood up, making the man groan in pain as she got off his stomach.
"Lil` Bitc-," Steph spun around and barely had time to throw her arms up as a crow bar hit her upper arms, the blades on her gloves held the crow bar up and the man tried to push the bar closer to her pushing against her arms but she was just as strong (Thank you training) and pushed back.
"Night, night." Steph smiled and threw her weight into pushing his hands up and crashing her head against his, her knee finding his groin in the proses.
Steph took a step back before kicking the man in the stomach and throwing him into a pile of garbage bags.
"I`m that good." Steph bragged to herself as she posted a sticky not to the tied men saying: Please lock me up.
"What was that?"
Steph jumped a bit before pursing her lips, she forgot about Tim and the carnival, "nothing, um d-do you see anything?"
"No, I think were good here, people are headed off." He said calmly. Steph nodded, "Okay well I`ll just hea-,"
"Actually Batgirl, I was wondering if we could talk." Tim asked, "You know I wasn't trying to down grate you right, I mean, I`m worried about you, your family."
"Family." Steph sighed, so there was nothing more?
Thought you didn't like him like that anymore Brown, make up your mind!
"Sure Timmy, were family, but I think I`ll just turn in." Steph said, great her good mood was replaced with something a little more…mopey. Damn.
"Right, um see you later Steph." Tim said before logging off. Steph did the same turning off the coms, she didn't want to hear from, Bruce, or Damian, or Dick, or even Babs. She just wanted to beat the shit out of criminals, was that so hard?
"Not bad."
Steph spun around at the husky voice to see a tall broad man, standing on the fire escape holding a small bag and looking down at her, his face covered by a red hood. She knew plainly this was Jason Todd. Second robin, killed by the Joker threw a wave of crowbars and explosions and then came back to life to enact his revenge on Joker and Batman.
She`d never met him before, and she`d heard even less, if anything she just checked the Bat-computer but Damian described him as a pouting child with too many daddy issues and a superiority complex.
"You think so?" Steph raised an eye brow, well she could find out who this man really was on her own.
"Except for that little trick with the crowbar, you lost your edge, but the comeback was nice." Jason snickered, Stephanie smiled, "It felt good, not to him, but me."
"Hm." Jason nodded jumping over to railing and landing a few feet from her. "You know this isn't the best place for anybody, especially a…"
"Girl?" Steph said with a little bit of venom seeping in.
"A bat." Jason said, "Why haven't I seen you around more?"
Steph thought this over, around the time Jason came back she might have been faking her death or somewhere around then. She also didn't deal with Crime alley as much as she should, mostly because Barbara kept her away from here.
"I usually operate on different parts of town." Stephanie said, she blinked tilting her head, "So what are you doing here? Planning to blow something up? Gang meeting?"
Jason chuckled the sound sending a small shiver up her back, "Not tonight, and I don't meet gangs."
"To blow them up you do." Steph pointed out, Jason paused for a second, "Point, but if you operate on other parts of town what are you doing here?"
Because I was forced in to wanting to beat the shit out of criminals on this fine night by a clueless Tim Drake while he`s probably with Wonder girl f-
"Am I under interrogation?" Steph asked coolly frowning. Jason shifted on his feet, "Nope."
"What's in the bag?" Steph asked, Jason snickered again, "Now who's under interrogation?"
Steph shrugged as if saying point taken when Jason looked at the bag and decide to pull off his hood with a small click holding it under his arm not even fixing the tangle of black unruly hair atop his head with a lock of white hair sticking out. It made her curiosity spike, did he like highlights?
He held the bag up and smiled his blue eyes shining with amusement, "Chili dogs."
"Really?" Steph said in disbelief.
"Seriously, you may be used to the insane things Alfie cooks but I preferred something like this." Jason smirked. Steph laughed, "Junk food?"
"Foods food." Jason pointed out he paused before blinking at her, "Want one?"
"A chili dog?" Steph asked as if it was the most absurd thing in the world, it wasn't the food it was the person and Jason seemed to know this but wasn't bothered at all.
"Got a curfew?"
"Maybe." Steph said thinking instantly about her mom who was working late at the hospital. Steph unconsciously took a step back and Jason smirked, "scare of what the bats while think."
There. That hit her, because the whole approval thing was something sore with her, she wasn't desperate for it but it would still be nice, especially when Bruce treated her like she wasn't needed, that only they could and did it right. Was a little trust too much to ask for?
"Alright." Steph said and closed the distance between them following Jason Todd to the rooftops.
XXXXXX
Jason threw the rolled up paper off of the roof and Steph punched him in the shoulder, "I could fine you for that."
"Please." Jason chuckled running a hand threw his hair and Steph couldn't help but reach forward and brush the white lock of hair that was hanging over his forehead, he didn't stop her but only gave a held smile, "Oh that, yeah looks like the pit left a bit of an impression."
"Hm, I thought you just like highlights." Steph said, Jason blinked twice before he started laughing. She only stopped when out of the corner of her eye she saw someone get pushed to the ground.
She turn to see a woman, middle age struggling with three men, Steph was on her feet in an instant and swinging into one of the men. She wasn't going to let these men ruin her good mood, in fact they might just let her get some of what tension was left in her shoulders.
"Go." Steph ordered to the woman who took off running like she possessed the powers of Flash just as Steph pulled a man forward and threw him into the next two men.
The man stumbling back pulled out a gun but the sound of something clicking behind her made her spin around and kicking the gun from the man`s hand . There was a loud shot that made her think she shouldn't of missed the man with the other gun but now, she didn't feel that crazy feeling of death or see a white light like so many times she`s heard before, instead she turned around as the clouds roared and a light drizzle started over head.
"You missed one." Jason said pocketing one of his guns.
"D-Don't move!" Jason and Stephanie`s heads snapped to a man no older then eighteen holding a shacking gun that looked like if the rain get even a bit harder he might not be able to hold it. Steph frowned, "Really, okay…let's do this."
"All yours." Jason held up his heads offering her the take, she didn't hesitate to throw a batarang and disarm the man before pointing the grapple gun and shooting it to him the man in the stomach and throwing him back a least three feet, maybe that would teach him to get a better life other than this one.
"I love doing that." Stephanie smirked pulling the grapple back, both of them looked up as thunder rumbled over their heads and the rain started to get worse but the second. Steph laughed as the water ran down her lips and cheek. Suddenly it stopped and she opened her eyes to see Jason holding his jacket over her head, "See, I can be the good guy every once in a while."
"Never said you couldn't." Steph said blinking slowly. She winked before suddenly taking off and grappling to the roofs, she ran ahead making sure Jason was still behind her and glad to see he was, she jumped the gap between two buildings quickly and spun around throwing a batarang to hit a water tower and it let out a small stream of water hitting Jason and making him slip on his feet.
Steph giggled and jogged over to him holding out a hand Jason looked up at her, water dripping from his hair and clothes, he lunged up and grabbed her hand pulling her down and scoping water up and pouring it on her head.
Steph screamed, giggled and struggled in his strong grasp as he poured another handful of water on her head. Stephanie reached and splashed water back at him and was able to turn around and flicked a few more droplets of water in his face before waiting for his next move.
She wasn't expecting his lips to be against hers soft and warm despite the rain pounding against them, what was more surprising was she didn't even try to stop him.
Stephanie Brown, what do you think you're doing!?
Stephanie ignored her thoughts that sounded strangely like Barbara in her head. Stephanie wrapped her arms around Jason `s neck and his hands held the sides of her face only deepening the kiss. She knew this was stupid, she knew she shouldn't be doing this, especially with the black sheep of the family. It might be because of Tim`s cautiousness to her or the fact she felt underappreciated by the others, safe for Barbara, but right now she didn't want nor need to think about that, right now she wasn't going to worry about them.
And she was going to worry about herself right now.
