When Cissie and Ollie returned from their walk, Tim was just coming out of Bonnie's room. His body was tense, his face tight.

"Tim, what is it?" Cissie asked. "Is she okay?"

Tim plastered a smile on his face. "Everything's fine, sweetie." He pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "She'd really like to see you now."

Cissie nodded. "Okay, I just… hope I'm ready."

"Want me to come with you?" Tim touched her face.

She swallowed and shook her head. "No. I want some time with her alone."

"Whatever you need, hon."

She nervously pecked Tim on the lips. Then she made her way through the giant double doors into the ICU.

Tim let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"What was that all about?" a very curious Roy asked.

"Nothing, Roy, just Bonnie being Bonnie," Tim answered smoothly.

"Uh huh," Ollie plopped down in one of the waiting room chairs. "I know that look. That's the look a man gets when Bonnie makes an impossible request of him. So what was it, boy?"

"I really can't say. I gave my word."

"Well, if anyone can keep secrets, it's one of you people," Ollie muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Tim snapped. He'd had a long day and Ollie was wearing on his last nerve.

"Oh, I think you know what I mean."

"No, Mr. Queen," Tim shot back, "I don't."

"Tim. Dad. Let's not do this right now. We have to keep it together for Cissie," Connor intervened.

Tim and Ollie stared each other down for another ten seconds.

"Fine," they grumbled simultaneously.

The four men sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sounds in the room were the buzz of the fluorescent lights, the soft conversation at the nurses' station, and Roy, who was whittling away at a block of wood.

"So when are you going to make an honest woman out of my daughter?" Ollie blurted out.

Connor hit his head against the wall behind him and sighed.

"When did you ever make an honest woman out of anyone?" Tim countered.

"That's me, not you. Everyone knows I'm a cad."

"And you expect me to be one too, is that it?"

"I don't know, kid. You tell me."

"Well, if I know the Bats, and I do," Roy chimed in, "he's the marrying type."

For this, Roy received two stone-cold glares.

"Shut up, Roy," he told himself aloud and headed for the vending machines.

Ollie and Tim took up their staring contest again. After a moment, Ollie

muttered, "I gotta get out of here," and stalked out of the waiting room.

No sooner had Ollie left, than Dick and Barbara burst through the waiting room doors.

"Short pants!" Roy exclaimed and rushed over to his longtime friend and teammate.

"Hey, Roy. Thanks for the call. How are things here?"

"Well, Bonnie's dying, Cissie's a wreck, Ollie's, well, Ollie, Tim's trying to stay strong for Cissie, but he's starting to crack, and Connor's trying to get everyone to kumbaya out."

"And you?"

"I'm the comic relief," Roy grinned.

Dick sighed. "Well, at least you know where you fit into all of this."

Meanwhile, Barbara had wheeled herself over to Tim. "Tim." She opened her arms for a hug. "Roy called us as soon as he heard."

"Babs," Tim fell into her embrace, "you don't even know Bonnie. You didn't have to come."

"We're here for you and Cissie, Tim. Hi," Barbara extended her hand to Connor as Roy and Dick approached the group. "I'm Barbara Gordon-Grayson and this is my husband, Dick Grayson."

"Nice to meet you," Connor shook their hands, a bit confused. Hadn't they met already?

"Tim and Cissie are dear family friends of ours," Barbara explained.

Dick plopped down next to Tim. "How you holding up, Timmy?"

Tim just shrugged. Dick and Babs exchanged glances. If Tim was brooding, this was bad.

"When's the last time you ate, Tim?" Barbara asked cautiously.

"I had dinner," Tim snapped back.

"Well, I'm starving," Dick said, sticking his gut out and slapping it. "Wanna watch me eat?"

Tim rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Sure, nothing would give me greater joy." With that, he and Dick took off for the cafeteria.

***

Cissie stared at the door a good five minutes before summoning up the courage to go in.

"Come on, Cissie," she pushed herself. "You have to be the strong one, now."

She took a breath and stepped inside. There she lay: the woman that had been her whole life for most of Cissie's twenty-four years, the woman who had laid the foundation for the woman that was now Cecilia King-Jones, and the woman who was now, visibly dying.

"Hey Ciss," Bonnie smiled. "How's my little Cupid?"

"Mom," Cissie choked back tears. Bonnie hadn't called her that in years.

Bonnie patted the bed. Cissie took the cue, and sat with her mother, and took her hand.

"You… you've known for awhile, haven't you?"

Bonnie nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why give me false hope?"

"That I'll live forever? You're smarter than that, Cissie. Even if I were healthy, I wouldn't be around forever. None of us are."

"Still. You should have told me."

"Call me selfish, but I wanted to see you smile."

"You're selfish, Mom," Cissie deadpanned.

"Tim makes you smile."

A small smile snuck its way onto Cissie's face.

"See?"

"Not fair. You set me up for that."

"It was worth it."

They sat in silence for awhile.

"I don't want you to go," Cissie barely whispered.

"I wish I didn't have to. But it's time. You're going to be fine, Cissie. You have Tim, Ollie, Roy, Connor, and most importantly, yourself to rely on."

"It won't be the same without you."

Of course not," Bonnie smirked. "There won't be anyone around to push everyone's buttons."

Cissie laughed. "I guess we'll have to leave that to Roy from now on."

Bonnie chuckled. "At least I've rubbed off on someone. Cissie, listen. I want you to be happy. I don't want you to end up like me: decrepit, bitter, and hated by everyone."

"No one hates you, Mom."

Bonnie gave her daughter a look.

"Okay, I don't hate you."

Bonnie smiled. "My point is, I don't want you to obsess over this or anything else. I know how you can get, and I know you got it from me, but I want you to let it go. I wish I could have."

"Mom, I'm not going to just forget about you."

"I didn't say, 'forget', I said, 'don't obsess'. Remember me, but live your life. Make a life with Tim. And be happy."

Cissie blushed. "Mom, what's your obsession with Tim?"

"I can't help it. I've just never seen you so happy as when you're with him. And he's such a nice young man."

"Yeah, he is."

"Do you ever think about it? Building a life with him?"

"All the time. I've just been so focused on…"

"Me. Taking care of me. I know. See? I'm doing you a favor, here."

Cissie winced. "Don't say that."

"Cissie, I love you. I always have. That's why I trained you and pushed you. That's why you're the best."

"Mom," Cissie groaned.

"I know now that it was wrong, and I'm so sorry, baby. I wish I could take it all back, but I can't, so let me do this one thing for you. Let me let go."

Tears streamed down Cissie's face. "Oh, Mom," she hugged her mother. "Mom, I don't want to let go."

Bonnie sighed and held her daughter tightly to her chest. "I know sweetie, I know."