Barbara sat on the ground with the four Titans. Bruce had gone upstairs an hour ago, but still wasn't back yet. She assumed he'd encountered Dick, and therefore she could expect them to come back after the ensuing shouting match. She had decided to stay down in the cave, keeping an eye on the Titans. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, it was more that they'd already accidently let Slade out, and more accidents were probably not a good thing.
"So you're Batgirl?" Cyborg asked, sitting with Raven and Beastboy next to Starfire, who was still huddled in the blanket. "Are you Batman's daughter or something?" Barbara didn't feel that question warented an answer. Cyborg tried again. "How long have you worked with him?"
"Since I was twelve," she replied. Cyborg nodded, seeming to be looking for a way to continue the conversation.
"Why'd you punch Robin?" Beastboy asked. Raven scowled at him.
"Because," Barbra replied, partly because she wasn't exactly sure herself.
"Because I deserved it," Dick announced, walking down out of the elevator with a plate full of cookies. "Complements of Alfred."
"SWEET!" Beastboy exclaimed happily, jumping up and snatching the plate and bringing his loot back to his team mates. The rest of the Titans were slightly more occupied with Dick's answer, looking between him and Barbara.
"Hi," he said, smiling slightly.
"Hi," she replied awkwardly. Cyborg glanced between the two again.
"So…you two know each other?"
"Yes." They didn't look away from each other, both of their eyes widening slightly at their simultaneous answer. Beastboy glanced up, noticing the awkward encounter.
"What's up with you two?" he demanded through his mouthful of cookies. Cyborg snorted at the younger team member.
"You left," Barbara stated finally.
"I know, but I swear it had nothing to do with you, Babs," Dick implored her, remembering her letter. She rolled her eyes.
"Don't call me that," she retorted. Dick smiled, mainly because she wasn't yelling.
"Babs." Barbara frowned.
"Dickie."
"Fangirl."
"Birdbrain."
"Rookie."
"Short-pants." Cyborg, Beastboy, Raven and Starfire were watching the back-and-forth like a tennis match.
"Really?" Dick quipped, smirking victoriously. "Short-pants? Running low on nicknames?"
"You'd rather I start throwing punches again?" Barbara snarled. The four Titans's eyes widened and they backed up against the wall. The two ex-partners glared at each other for another minute. Then they drew each other into a tight embrace. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beastboy's jaws dropped. Raven just raised an eyebrow.
"I missed you," Dick admitted.
"Me too Greyson," Barbara whispered back. After a few more seconds, they released each other, both smiling in a nervous way.
"So…" Cyborg said, watching the two with a slightly befuddled expression. "Um, can I have a cookie Beastboy?" Dick turned to Starfire.
"You feeling better Star?" Starfire nodded, smiling.
"Yes, thank you. The "cocco" is very helpful," Starfire held up a large mug. Dick grinned.
"Always is," he said, smiling reflectively. Barbara laughed.
"You drank enough of it," she announced. Dick frowned.
"Liking to drink hot chocolate is not some sort of crime!"
"Oh, I'm not referring to your hot chocolate addiction," Barbara replied. Dick scowled as he realized she was mocking him.
"I didn't have any more trouble with him than you did," he snapped.
"You keep thinking that." They returned to glaring at each other while the other four teenagers watched with bemused expressions.
"So you two are…what, cousins or something?" Beastboy asked.
"Is your family really that dysfunctional that you'd jump to that conclusion?" Cyborg joked.
"Well, everyone else's family seems to be…I just mean that, you know, we've fought members of…"
"We're not related," Barbara bailed Beastboy out of the hole he was starting to dig before starting back out of the cave. "Please try not touch anything." The Titans frowned, glancing at Robin, who shrugged before standing up following her.
"Where are you going?" he asked. Barbara paused in the hallway, glancing at him.
"Keeping an eye him," she replied, deciding that he'd at least have the common sense not to let Slade out. She turned and walked into the holding room. Slade, was standing at the back of the cage confidently.
"Oh, she's back," he purred, then Dick followed. "Oh, and Robin too. You two just can't get enough of me, can you?"
"Slade…" Dick started, but Barbara just laughed.
"Oh, shut up Halloween man," she said. "You'll just give everyone a headache." Slade scowled, Dick looked at Barbara skeptically and mouthed "Halloween man?"
"Are you just going to stand here again?" Slade demanded.
"Nope," Barbara replied, turning and walking back out of the room, pushing Dick in front of her and closing the door behind her. Dick spun, stopping in the middle of the hallway and grabbing Barbara's hands off his back.
"Why'd we even go in there?" he asked her, studying for her reaction. "Are you worried about me being in there?" She frowned.
"Haven't you already had this conversation with Bruce?" she demanded. He faltered momentarily.
"Why should that matter?" he asked. "I'm trying to have this conversation with you, not him."
"You're going to have similar results," Barbara replied, pulling herself out of his grip and continuing down the hallway.
"What, I can't handle myself anymore?" he snapped after her. Barbara turned around, frowning.
"You call being forced to steal and try to kill your teammates handling yourself?" she replied calmly. Dick blinked, and she turned to walk away again.
"How'd you know that?" he called after her, much more calmly. She turned around, surveying him and deciding that he wasn't trying to fight. She dropped her aggressive stance.
"You're really asking that question?" she replied. "You've been away too long." He edged closer to her after determining she wasn't going to attack again.
"Not so long that I've forgotten how to settle an argument," he replied, smirking slightly. Barbara laughed.
"You mean when to quit," she corrected, before turning around. "Halloween man's secure." Bruce melted from the shadows behind her and nodded. Dick started slightly.
"Good," he replied calmly, glancing at Dick. "Watch out for how many cookies your friends are eating." Then he walked past them down the hallway and into the holding room. Dick watched him skeptically.
"Did he just make a joke?"
"Nope," Barbara said. "I think he's actually worried. You're friends must eat a lot of cookies."
"Thanks," he replied, rolling his eyes. "So Bruce jokes and you make up silly nicknames? Oh, and since when has anything in the Batcave been anything other than black?"
"What isn't black?" she replied, ignoring his attempt at humor.
"The blanket," he said, frowning slightly. He'd always used to be able to make her laugh…
"Things changed," Barbara replied, starting back to the main hallway. She stopped for a second, realizing she hadn't answered the question. "The blanket's mine." Then she was gone.
A/N: I am SOOOOOOOO sorry about not updating! I have admittably been buisy, and haven't really been updating anything. However, this poor story has been getting perticularly left out. So heres my apology to you guys, XxNika-chanxX, totallyPSYCHED, icequeen2897, E. Dawn B., DrakesChick and LadyMysteri, three chapters in one day. You guys want to tell me where you think I should go with this next? I'm slightly on the fence, and I'm up for your ideas! Sorry again,
Vanessa
