Dick waited with anticipation for Bruce's arrival, sitting by the window and staring out at the drive just as he had done when he was a child. They had been gone a long time, but then Jump was a long way away and if Cassandra was anything like she was as a kid she was bound to have put up some sort of a fight. It had taken them only a few hours to track her down using the Bat cave's computer and Robins hacking skills and those few hours had been surreal. Dick had always hopped he would see her again somewhere in the back of his mind but he had never thought it would really happen.
The car pulled up in the drive and Dick saw Alfred get out of the car and open the door, his father got out followed by a main of pink. The girl looked up at the house and Dick saw that she looked the same as she had then, only now she was beautiful. And suddenly he was scared.
"Welcome to the Manor Miss Candilight" said Alfred opening the front door for her
"Cassandra please, and I'm sorry I didn't manage to get any of my clothes" she sighed remembering her near escape from her hunters.
"Don't worry about it, we can send someone to go an collect anything you want and we can always buy you some new cloths" said Bruce resting his hand on the small of her back and pushing her forward slightly moving deeper into the house.
"Dick" shouted Bruce and Alfred winced
"Must you shout Master Bruce? I'm sure the young Master is not far I saw him standing at the window".
Cassandra looked at the stairs, she couldn't decide how she felt about this moment, the only really clear memories she had of Richard Grayson was of the young boy playing horrid pranks on her. But then he was the only remaining member of the family she used to be part of. Would he even remember her?, what if he was still the same immature child he used to be, or what if he had grown into a spoilt rich kid living with Mr Wayne!
Finally some footsteps could be hear coming down the stairs and a young man walked down, his raven black hair untidy yet cool, his cloths smart yet casual and his eyes piercing yet kind.
"Hello Cassandra" said Dick suddenly shy, Bruce and Alfred decided to leave them alone for a while, and Alfred was secretly glad to young boy had decided to actually walk down the stairs for once rather than sliding down the stair rail.
"Hi" said Cassy fighting within herself, not wanting to make eye contact and yet already lost in the brilliant blue. How could she have forgotten those eyes?
"How have you been?" he asked hands in his pockets not quite sure what to do.
Cassandra was like wise wondering the same thing, already seeing this boy was bringing her more pain than she had felt in years. She was scared. Scared to get close to him again knowing that she would only have to leave him again.
"Hanging in there" she said pausing and looking round the huge hallway "You've done well for yourself"
Dick smiled sadly "Yeh Bruce has been great" there was silence again between the two as the sun slowly started to set over the city. "Come on I'll show you to your room"
She followed him up the stairs, still taking in the beautiful old house they walled down a huge corridor before stopping at a door. Dick opened it, the room was huge. Cassy was pretty sure it was bigger than her apartment and the coffee shop put together, the décor was a soft shade of hazy purple with golden flowers, there was a huge bed in the centre of the room as well as a vanity table and her own bathroom to the side of her room.
"Wow" she couldn't help herself saying, Dick left her to look round her room and returned a few minutes later with a set of PJ's.
"I know their mine and it's kind of weird but your welcome to have them until we can get your stuff" she took them nodding.
"Thank you"
And then she was alone. And she had never felt so alone. She sat on her new bed as silent tears fell down her cheeks. An hour later there was a knock on her door.
"Come in" she said trying to wipe away the tears, Alfred entered carrying a tray with a sandwich on.
"I didn't think you would want to join us for dinner tonight, so I brought you this" he placed it on the bedside table. Cassandra smiled, she liked this old man even though they had only just met he seemed to read her perfectly.
"Is there something I can help with Miss Cassandra?" she shook her head as another tear spilled over, Alfred sighed "You know I find a problem is less of a weight if there are two to carry it".
After a few moments the tears spilled over again
"I'm not sure I can do this" she said once again wiping her face which was already rubbed red raw "I thought it would be easy to see him again but it's not. It was hard enough leaving him the first time I'm not sure how I'm going to do it a second"
Alfred questioned why she had to leave at all but Cassandra couldn't answer. She could not let this nice old man help her carry to burden of knowing about the omen of death that clung to each of her blood cells.
Seeing that the situation ran deeper than he had first thought, Alfred tried a different approach,
"If you are so sure you are going to have to leave him again, why not make the most of this time you have been given to spend with him while you can" he suggested and was happy to see the young girl smile at him in agreement.
"I will leave you to your dinner then Miss" he stood to leave and was nearly out the door before Cassandra asked him a question.
"Hey Alfred, what do you know about Batman and Robin?" the old man turned, wearing a mask of complete innocence.
"Not much I am afraid young Miss, what I know of the Dark Knight and his partner is from what I see on the news and read from the newspaper every morning, Why do you ask?" she shrugged
"I don't know really, it's just ever since I first saw Robin on the news 6 years ago, something about him reminded me of Dick. But that's silly right?" Alfred stared into the deep brown eyes of the girl before him. His first impression of the girl had been that although she was lovely she was not very bright. He could see now looking in her eyes that he had been wrong. This girl was smart, as smart as Master Richard and even Master Bruce. They would have to be very careful if they did not wish for their secret to be found out. If it hadn't already, for there was a knowing look in that stare. And part of Alfred was sure she knew about Robin's secret identity.
"I am quite certain Miss Cassandra, although Master Dick has kept up his skills from his days with the Circus he has not sought to improve. Simply stay in shape" he smiled and gave her a small nod before leaving the room. When the door was closed he let out the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.
Walking down stairs he found his two boys.
"I think we are going to have to be careful around Miss Candilight" he said explaining his previous convocation when they both gave him a confused look.
"What is it with Circus kids and being so smart? What were they feeding you?" asked Bruce, looked bewildered he had thought Dick was a one off but if this Cassandra girl had worked something out that not half the member of the Justice League could then maybe Dick had competition.
"She was always quite smart, working out the physics and stuff of her balance and force of gravity while she was doing her routine on the silks"
Now it was Allred's turn to look confused
"She was an aerial dancer, you know the ribbons suspended on the ceiling, gymnast wrapped in them" the older man nodded in understanding.
"So what are you going to do?"
"We will try and keep it a secret for as long as we can, but if she finds out then there's not much we can do about it" Bruce's words surprised both other men in the room "Do you trust her Dick?"
"Yes"
"Then that's all I need to know"
A/N Here's the next chapter, I'm glad to see some people have been taking an interest in this story, i've kind of been obsessing over it the last few days. trying to work out different ends to the story. Anyway please review. and if you have any ideas on how you think the story should end, let me know as i am curious as to how you percieve what you have read so far :) Karin x
