This chapter is kinds weird...so enjoy ;)

It was that night that everything between us changed.

After Bruce and Dick's little "talk" in the study, I couldn't help but notice Bruce being extremely friendly to me. It was weird. Plus, I saw him whispering to Alfred about something. I couldn't overhear what exactly, but I could tell it was about me.

I shrugged off the feeling when I heard the door slam. It was Dick, coming back from that job interview. He had decided he should look his best, so he wore a suit and tie. (I kid you not. I couldn't help but giggle when he went by. He never wears suits, except when Bruce makes him. Usually then, it's to weddings and funerals.) Right now, his shirt was un-tucked, his tie was loose, and his face wore a rather tired expression, but I could tell he was anxious about something. Probably the whole job ordeal.

As soon as he came through the door, he came up to me, and said, "Hey!"

He hugged me as he greeted me, and even though he was just trying to be friendly, but I couldn't help turning red at the thought of something more…

"Did you get the job?" I asked eagerly. "Yep!" He was excited, I could tell. "It pays really well. I'm gonna get loads of cash!"

"Whatareya going to spend it on?"

He started to get a little speechless. "Well, uh, um,…college money, I guess."

I nodded my head like I understood, when I knew he was really going to get something completely worthless.

He changed the subject on me though, before I could say anything smug. "So, you staying later?"

"Yeah, I'm going to do some stuff around here. I'll leave soon, thought."

"But what about "you know what"?"

How could I forget?

"Oh yeah." I have to admit I totally forgot with the whole "Bat of the night" thing.

"I have something to show you. C'mon." As we walked down the hallway, I didn't know where we were going at first. Then, when we came to the familiar room with the grandfather clock, I knew we were going down to the Batcave.

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"You never do have any patience, you know that? Trust me!"

----

Our soft footstep taps echoed through the ginormous cave. I looked down at my shoes. Bruce had had the flooring marble, and it was so shiny and polished that I could see my reflection, almost as if I was looking into a pool. My mind snapped back into action when Dick made a sharp turn. I followed still, even though I've been down here like, I million times.

"Here."

I stopped, almost running into Dick's back. What lay before us was a suitcase. Or, what looked like a suitcase, and we were in the costume area of the batcave, where we keep all our extra costumes. After a moment of silence, I assume Dick wanted me to speak first, I said, "That's it?"

Dick rolled his eyes. "You think I came all the way down here just to show you a suitcase? Open it!"

What a snot.

I opened it as he said, unlatching the hooks that kept it together one by one, until I carefully opened the top, revealing what was inside.

It was a costume of fine, black fabric, flexible, and thick. On the chest stretching from shoulder to shoulder was a magnificent blue bird.

"Wow." I whispered. "You made this?"

"Yeah, with a little help from Al. I'm not really creative." I scuffed like, Yeah, right! and ran my hand over the fabric. It was hard and yet smooth, almost scaly by the feeling, but it had a brilliance to it that gave me shivers. Then, it occurred to me.

"What about Robin?"

"Ah, I knew you'd ask that." He pulled the costume out, holding both its shoulders out with his hands for both of us to see. "I decided to throw in the towel with the kid cutie "Boy Wonder" thing. This is much more mature and sophisticated."

I've never heard him use so many big words in a sentence before.

"And, what is this new "mature and sophisticated" Boy Wonder called?"

He looked at me with a you're missing my point look, but he answered anyway.

"Nightwing."

I repeated it to myself. It sounded like a step-up from Batboy to Batman. I liked it.

"Nice. It's cool."

He draped the costume over his shoulder. "Want me to try it on?"

"Sure. Go right ahead!" I smiled, but deep down, I was wondering if Gotham was big enough for two "Batman"s. I mean, everyone accepted him as "Robin, little kid, plunky sidekick." Will they like this new "Nightwing"? Then again, does Bruce even know about this?

When Dick came back in the costume, complete with a cowl and his own Nightwing batarangs, I could only stare in awe. To think, he started out as a lonely orphan acrobat, and now…this.

"Wow." I muttered again. "I mean, cool!" my mind snapped back into gear.

"What do you think Bruce'll say?"

"What happened to little Robin?" I teased.

"Har har. Do you know how itchy this thing is?" He began his usual pester, going on and on about nothing in particular. "How long have I been here, a week? Yeah, that's it. I dunno about you—"

"Shut up, Boy Wonder." I pulled him along by his the costume collar, seeing as this one-person conversation was going nowhere. "Hey!" he whined along the way, "This is new fabric!"

I swear, this Nightwing thing isn't going to last very long. To me, he's still just dorky little Robin.

But am I still the childish Batgirl?

Are we even still friends?

----

It was the first time in days we had gone out prowling. It turns out Bruce had the exact same attitude as me about this whole "Nightwing" thing, but he decided to give him a shot. And to see Dick in action, swinging through the city on his batline, it nearly took my breath away.

Nearly.

After the whole prowl, we both loaded into the backseat of the batmobile, and with a satisfied woop, Dick said, "It's glad to be back!"

"We're glad you're back Ro—I mean, Nightwing." I thought back. "Do your friends know that you're not Robin anymore?"

"No." he shrugged like it was no big deal. "After all, I'm not the "teen wonder" anymore. I'm already 20, for gosh sakes! It's about time I let the titans go."

Does he really have to rush to conclusions with the titans? I mean, it's only been a couple of weeks! He should at least let it sink in, just a tad. He should at least talk to them.

But hey, it's his life.

Wait…what about the letter?

----

As soon as we got to the cave, all three of us took of our cowls. Bruce was the first one up the stairs, leaving Dick and me alone.

"So, whatdaya wanna do?"

I felt like puking. I don't even know why. With him acting like everything's fine, and then he'll slam, "You read that letter? Some friend!" and then he'd head-but me or something.

Get a grip, Barbara. This isn't fourth grade anymore!!

"Hello?"

Lost in my trail of thought, I got back to Planet Earth by intelligently answering,

"Huh?"

"' you want to go to the weight room' I asked before." He acted like I was stupid.

"Oh, sure."

I awkwardly walked into the weight room, with Dick trailing behind. I suddenly felt really hot again. Like my outfit wasn't right, or there was toilet paper stuck to my shoe, or something. I felt like a girl with a crush.

Am I?

I headed for the treadmill, setting it on an easy walk. Dick, of course, had gone to the weights. Did I mention he had great biceps?

Well, I guess I was watching too much of his weightlifting and too little of what I was doing, and I must have nudged the "paced walk" button, because it was becoming harder, and harder to keep up. Soon, I was running, and couldn't keep up anymore, so I slipped, fell, and got smacked right into the wall with an "Ow!"

"Babs! Are you OK?"

Ah, Babs. He called me Babs! This was no time to celebrate. My butt felt like it was on fire.

He leaned down next to me. "Are you OK?" he asked again.

"Ow." I felt like crying, not from the pain, from the fall—how embarrassing!—but for some strange reason,

I laughed.

I laughed real hard, and as soon as I did, he joined in with me. He took my hand and helped me up, we were still chuckling, but suddenly, it was all quiet.

I looked down at my hand. He was still holding onto it.

I wished I could let go, I really wanted to, but half of me wouldn't. That part wanted to see what would happen next.

Next thing I knew, it was a repeat of the room incident a week ago. I felt a light, hardly-even-there brush after the next few seconds. It would have all gone perfect, if Bruce hadn't just walked in at that moment.

"Hey guys, I—ooo."

I quick let go of Dick's hand, totally embarrassed, my face beet red. Dick looked perfectly fine. He's gotta tell me that secret: How not to turn all red when you're embarrassed beyond oblivion.

"Did I miss something?" asked Bruce, obviously curious of what we had been doing.

"No!" I said at the same time Dick said "Yes!"

Then ,we both looked at each other, and then, again at the same time, I said, "Yes!" and he said "No!"

"Uh-huh." said Bruce, delightedly suspicious. "I'll leave you two alone."

So he left.

Dick turned to me and smiled. I smiled weakly back.

"I gotta go." Then, I bolted outa there. I could hear Dick saying something to me, but I ignored him. I ran out to my car and pulled away, heading back towards Dad's apartment.

Why do I feel I've just been caught in the tree house with the neighbor boy?