The Day After – II
"Hello, Barbara"
"Hello, Korand'r"
Yep, awkward did not even begin to cover this.
"um, would you like something to drink. Coffee, tea….?"
"Yes, tea will be great thank you"
"make your self comfortable and I will be right back"
"Thank you"
As I went to the kitchen to get the tea, I saw her looking around at my equipment. I didn't have any time to hide any of it. since Bruce told me to let whoever in I figured it to be a member of the super hero community. I figured it had to be someone important and who already know who I was. Not Starfire. As I returned she was putting down a picture of Dick and I. You know, this is very cliché, but you could literally cut the tension in here with a knife.
"Well", Kory began, "I believe I can guess why Oracle was so against helping me find a ship to Tamaran"
"You think?"
And as she started towards the couch, "We can do this all night or we can get down to business, Barbara. I am not here completely by choice. In fact as I recall the transmission I received from a certain Dark Knight, I had no choice but to be here. If it wasn't for Richard, who doesn't know I am here by the way, and for the subject that I am about to discuss with you… well, let's just say that I would not have left my duties to be here"
"Look, Starfire, "I began with a slight irritating tone to my voice, "I don't know what this is all about but I am about tired of being led around the way I am. Dick won't even talk to me. Bruce is pulling his 'it's my way or the highway' routine. Donna knows what the hell is going on but because of some promise she made to Dick she's avoiding…"
"The promise was to me not Dick"
"…."
Sighing Kory began, "I asked Donna not to tell you what this was all about. She some how or another talked Dick into promising that he would tell you what was going on but he hurts to much to talk about it". And then with a smile she added, "Dick is right about one thing though, your Bruce imitation sucks!"
I couldn't believe she went there and try as hard as I might, once I started laughing I couldn't stop. And then Kory started laughing with me and we were both doubled over. And then finally, we stopped and looked at each other.
I was going to hate myself for saying this but, "I can see why Dick was head over heels in love with you. You come into a 'hostile environment' and crack a joke to break the ice"
"This isn't a hostile environment, Barbara, we just love the same man".
"I notice that's 'love' and not 'loved'".
"I'll always love Dick. I'm sorry but I want, no, have to be truthful to you now"
"Why now? What's going on, Korand'r…."
"Kory, please"
"Kory, then, what is going on?"
From the look in her eyes I could see she was struggling with the emotions. I know that somewhere, Dick still loves her. He was her first love. From what he told me he wasn't even able to tell her goodbye. It was over a long range transmission that was breaking up but he told her then that he loved her and was sorry for all the mess he had made of things. He thought she had said the same thing but was unsure. Now I knew that she probably did say those things. Normally this would have hurt like hell. But this was different. With the Huntress, it was a one night stand. I can't even blame Dick for all of that. If I would have taken him seriously, he never would have been with Helena and never would have kissed her on New Year's if I didn't push him that way. No, this was different. This was a woman he loved and almost married. God, I do so regret now being so cold to her.
"Um, Kory…"
Without looking at me she began with a sentence that I've always wondered about. I always thought that it was because he was a Titan then and not a member of the Bat clan. But when she asked that question I knew it was more than that. I just sat there and stared at the wall until finally Kory spoke back up.
"Barbara, didn't you hear me? Haven't you always wondered where Dick was after the Joker shot you?"
"I would rather not discuss it, especially with you", and I started towards the kitchen.
"Maybe not, but Dick isn't going to talk about it to you any time soon. He hurts to much…"
"Do you realize how tired I get of hearing that? Well how the hell do you expect me to feel? It's not exactly wine and roses for me either, you know!"
"He heard it from Alfred, Barbara. Two days after it happened"
"Why? Don't you have news stands or TV in New York?"
"He purposely didn't read the paper. And he never has been one to just watch TV But more importantly, he was out of the country. In fact most of us were"
Kory stood and went to look out my window. She seemed deeply disturbed by all of this. Well, since Dick wasn't talking to me…
"Okay, Kory, tell me please. If he won't tell and you are the only one that will, well, I need to know"
Kory sat back down and I put myself in front of her. And as we sat eye to eye she began her tale…
End Part II