Barb refused to open her eyes. She knew on some level that it was far too early to awaken and that the bed was far too comfortable. Her train of thought halted for a second and then reeled. This wasn't her bed, her green eyes snapped opened and she looked about the room with wide eyes and shot up from her reclined position. As her heart thudded in her chest, she heard a sigh and she decided to glance over her shoulder. Yep, there he was laying there still in blissfully unaware of her current state of panic.
As carefully as she could, Barb climbed out of the bed, trying not to awaken the sleeping man. Then realized she was completely nude. Great. Taking another moment in the warm bed she pulled he covers over her chest. Then began to bunch them up towards her. In the entire twenty something years she had been alive Barb had always preferred wearing clothes to sleep even with Dick. Not to say she was uncomfortable, she just enjoyed this one western, puritanical social norm. Therefore sitting in a strange room with a strange but comfy bed and a relatively new human sleeping beside her, Barb had come to the conclusion that she needed to leave. Now.
However, as the material of the sheet covered more her than her companion and the last bit of it came of him and fell to her she saw that she was not the only one that had opted in to the no clothes party. He lay on his back, the arm that she had been laying on outstretched to her side. Her eyes bulged slightly at the sight before her. She had to hand it to the man, those hours working out with Tim definitely didn't hurt him. Then she blushed noticing that she had been staring for far too long.
Taking the sheet with her, Barb began the hunt for the elusive clothing that had been discarded throughout the room during their romp. Four letter words streaming through her mind and berating herself for seeming so desperate on the first date. God! The first date! What was she some kind of sixteen year old that couldn't keep it in her pants? Okay to be fair it really had been awhile but really?
"Hey you're up." Of course he would wake up as she was frantically trying to leave and not make this any more awkward than it needed to be.
"Yeah, " she paused and made the mistake of turning around. Apparently John did not share in her enjoyment of clothing when around others. "Jesus." She adverted her eyes.
"What's wrong? " Sitting up, concern flooded John as he observed her hurried movements and lowered eyes.
"Can you... can you just put clothes on? " Barb was still looking down and holding tightly to the sheet.
"Barb?" John quickly grabbed the nearby boxers, put them on and went over to her and put a hand on her face, which cause her to look up. Well, that was not the look he was hoping to get this morning or the fact that he hadn't woken up with her in his arms. She looked panicky and scared causing him to feel a bit of worry to encroach on him. "Hey you alright?"
"I... I... uh. " She wasn't sure exactly what was going on or why he was being so nice. "I have to go."
"I thought we could get breakfast. " He tried to put on a reassuring smile. "Or I could make something..."
"No." She said quickly and spotted the last piece of clothing. Then pulled the sheet over her to somehow have some privacy in the room to put on the clothes. John stood there a bit baffled. What the hell was going on? Her muffled voice spoke out from the blankets. "I just have to go… a…uh… conference call."
"Conference call?" John asked in disbelief.
"Yeah." Barb hadn't changed that quickly since she was seventeen and heard her father coming to her bedroom door with Dick hiding in the closet. Peeking her head out, and putting the last bits of clothing on. She couldn't look at his fallen face. "I… have to go."
"Barb, I…" His mind attempted to come up with any logical conclusion as to what was going on. But before he could finish his train of thought, the blanket dropped, revealing a fully clothed Barb and she rushed to the door.
"Bye."
John stood there, his mouth slightly ajar. He glanced down at the discarded sheet, then back at the door Letting out a disgruntled sigh, and before he could comprehend the notion of following a beautiful woman, who he thought was genuinely into him and he was more than comfortable to admit to taking more than a simple liking to, he heard the door of his apartment slam shut. Shaking his head, John turned to the bathroom and began planning their next date, making sure that it wasn't going to end like this.
Selina woke to the feeling of light feathered kisses on her neck as she was turned to the side and still comfortable and warm against her husband's chest. However, she could feel him move against her and began to stretch. Every little bit of her wanted to further sleep in but she reasoned that would be tomorrow, considering that she had plenty to do before the weekend came up and she would have to focus on the new guest in the manor. Giving into the nonverbal wake up call and deciding to perhaps make this an even better morning, she turned to greet the caller.
"Well good…" She began but was instantly silenced when he put his finger to his lips. Her brows narrowed in confusion, but her looming husband pointed towards the end of the bed, and saw a sleeping form of a small person by their feet. She turned back to him with worried expression but a soft smile formed as well. Deciding that it was safe to speak in low tones, Selina went for it. "We need a deadbolt."
"I think she would get past that as well." Bruce also spoke quietly. "The bigger question is why is she here."
"Why don't you wake her up and ask her?" She stayed deadpan for a moment before she cracked. "She's a kid Bruce. It was probably a nightmare, but the good news is that she's beginning to trust us."
"You mean she's beginning to trust me." He noticed the girl's position at the foot of the bed. "She's still more on your side."
"It takes time, Bruce." Selina shrugged, trying to play off the slight hurt quality of his voice. "But whatever Leslie said, helped."
"It did." Agreeing, he assessed the situation. Sheets only separated them from the girl and considering they were both quite used to being the only ones, save for Alfred, in the great house, they were content with luxury and connivance of being nude. "I'm guessing this means…"
"Yes." She nodded. "We're going to have to start wearing clothes to bed again."
"It's not the worse thing to happen." He felt the girl stir at his feet. "She's waking up."
"Hopefully she's not too feisty in the morning." Selina also felt the movement. "As long as she wakes up on her own accord, we should be fine."
Their wishes did not happen, as a knock sounded at the door and Cass immediately sprang to life. Hopping up from her curled position on the bed to a combative stance as she faced the door, but then found the two closest people close to her.
"Master Wayne." Alfred's voice came through the door. "I cannot find…"
"It's fine Alfred." Bruce called back. "We'll be down in a few minutes."
"Very good sir." He answered, and presumably walked away.
"Cassandra." Selina got the girl's attention and Cassandra seemed to calm herself a bit. "You should relax…"
Then without listening to the rest of Selina had to say, Cassandra paused, looked to Bruce and dropped her arms. She then lowered herself to a sitting position, legs crossed and her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes closed.
"Well that was easy." Selina commented and glanced at Bruce. "How long do you think she'll keep this up?"
"Hopefully until we come back." He responded and saw Selina over the side of the bed, sighing as she came back up with his robe that had been carelessly dropped to the ground the night before. "You're leaving me stranded here?"
"You have a sheet." Selina shrugged, putting on the robe and securing around her body, then went over and kissed him steadily, feeling a pair of eyes on them, the couple turned to see Cassandra peering at them with half closed eyes. When she noticed their returned glanced she quickly closed them. "Well, at least it's not Babs."
"What time are you going to be home tonight?" Bruce questioned as Selina went over to a pair of discarded pajama pants, she threw them to him, which he easily caught.
"Five." Standing in the doorway to the bathroom, Selina glanced at the still form on the bed, as the larger form swiftly put the pants on. "I think we figured out why Alfred never sees her. She's probably like this all day."
"He said as much." Bruce nodded, then began to get up, when a hand caught his arm. Although he had not noticed the quick movement that it took Cassandra to make it to his side of the bed, he stopped and stared at her. Big brown eyes looked back at him. Having mastered the art form of reading body language and expression, he was somewhat surprised to see that he couldn't really understand her. However he doubted that it wasn't because he didn't read her but the fact that she didn't know how to use the correct emotion. She had never been taught it.
"You certainly have a way with children." Knowing what this girl was capable of, Selina was continually astonished at the child's movements. "I told you she was trusting you."
"She doesn't." Not taking his gaze off the Cassandra, he felt her grip loosen and then he slowly began to rise, but felt a punch to his side and dully noted that it was going to leave a mark. They began their staring contest again. Then Cassandra went back into her meditation position and watched him. Bruce made another move away but she caught him, this time not with a punch, but a simple touch, quickly retreating the hand.
"Sit with her, Bruce." Selina told him quietly.
"I have a meeting at…"
"She wants you to meditate with her." She insisted.
Giving a sigh, Bruce got back on the bed and sat opposite Cassandra who watched his every movement. As he got into position, he gave a halfhearted attempt to follow her lead. When he closed his eyes, he felt small hands push at his back, so he sat straighter and pull at his shoulders so they were equal. Normally the stance that Cassandra had put him in was the one that he usually did, but seeing that he thought that she just wanted someone to sit with her, he began to understand that this is what calmed her, this was what Cassandra did to trust someone. To close her eyes and let the world disappear around her, with someone close, it was quite a feat.
Opening his own hazel eyes he saw that Cassandra self-satisfyingly put herself back into position. Then he looked up to see Selina's amused smile. Selina walked over to them and Cassandra only opened one eye, assessed Selina and then closed it again.
"I really do have a meeting this morning." Bruce informed.
"I'll call Fox on my way to work." Selina's smile didn't falter.
"It's with the investors from Hong Kong." He sighed.
"She needs you." Nodding over to the small person, Selina knew that no matter his protests Bruce wasn't going to go in until Cassandra let him go. As he opened his mouth to continue, her lips caught his and she back away. "Welcome to parenthood."
"So it can officially be stated that you have no idea what to do when it comes to women either." Tim's voice sounded through the cell phone speakers that John held to his ear.
"Does any man?" John questioned.
"Are you sure you should be doing this?" He rummaged in his car for some papers that he had somewhat misplaced in the mess that was his car.
"Would you rather talk to her?" Gazing around the coffee shop for the person he was about to meet, John sat tight, waiting for her.
"Considering how it went last time." The dryness in Tim's tone made John smile. "No."
"Exactly." His phone buzzed, "Hold on." John took the phone away from his ear, looked at the caller and frowned slightly at the unidentified number. Answering it he held it back up to his ear. "Hello?"
"You thought I was actually going to come didn't you?" A soft accented, female came through the other line.
"Steph, come on…"
"What do you want?" Steph, even in her best moments, was sometimes this straight forward and unforgiving, without really meaning to.
"Why don't you come here…"
"No." She answered. "You want to give them my information."
"That sounds about right." John had to hand it to the woman, she wasn't stupid. "There's something else you're forgetting."
"I work alone." Not needing him to question her, Steph knew that this was not just to placate her and ask her inane questions. No, this was Tim's doing of wanting her on his side.
"Hey Steph," Giving a sigh, John continued, "we need your help."
It became very silent on the other end, until Steph gave him a statement that he was not a fan of, "He's watching you."
Then she hung up.
The light from the candle was the only source that Helena could rely on in this ancient chapel. She took the small stick from the sand and lifted it to one with the flame. When the flame had caught on to the well worn wood, she placed it next to a candle absent of the light. Putting out the fire, by dipping the stick back into the sand, Helena made the sign of the cross, knelt down while taking out the amethyst rosary she had gotten from her mother. It was the only thing that she had left of the woman. Then she began the long, meditative journey of the rosary.
This had been her escape for so long, especially when she was first forced to come here more than a decade ago. Everything had been different then. She had been to Italy when she was much younger but only then and she barely remembered it. Under the circumstances, she was forced to acclimate, but luckily Francesca knew when to back off and when to step in. When Helena wanted to yell and scream, which she did, Francesca would wait until the girl was done and then listen to reason. But now she that wonderful woman, her grandmother had told her things that Helena was surprised to find herself almost unwilling to know every detail. She needed help.
"I forget sometimes," A voice behind her spoke and she turned to see it, "you look so beautiful like this."
Helena smiled, resuming her position. Then felt the presence come beside her and kneel with her, clasping his own hands in front of him. Finally when she had finished, she signed herself as he did and looked right of her. "You say that every time."
"It's true every time." His accent, she had become used to and having at first hated it, now enjoyed it.
"Oh Tony." Her eyes went upwards before coming back to meet his brown ones. "Why is it I can never believe you Italians?"
"You're listening to the wrong ones." Leaning in, caused her to do the same. "But I can promise you that I am not just Italian."
"Really?" Although she knew the answer, she played along. "Are you French?"
"No."
"Swiss?"
"Of course not."
"Canadian?"
"You are very close, Ms. Betinelli." A playful smile came to the young man's lips. "American."
"You were born here." She pointed out.
"Ah, but that's better." He assured her. "I'm not tainted by your crazy American ways."
"Just the crazy pick up lines?" Helena guessed.
"It is the curse of most American men." Tony nodded regretfully.
"It is the curse of men." Letting the moment sink in she looked him over. "I thought we agreed to not see each other any more?"
"You agreed." He corrected. "I didn't say anything."
"You said a great deal." Helena remembered the moment that was not so long ago.
"Helena," Tony sighed, "I don't want it to be like this."
"It has to be."
"It doesn't." His head shook. "You are making it become this. I want more."
"I can't give you that." Helena swallowed. "I am not…"
"You're holding back." Finally he turned the upper half of his body to her. "This mission that you have, leave it. It will only serve to ruin you."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Helena, I love you." His hands took hers and he kissed them. "Please don't kill yourself over what happened in the past. It is there, leave it there. Make a future, a new, better future, with me."
"Tony…" She closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them. "I…"
"I don't beg, Helena." Touching her cheek, he drew her in a bit more. "But I am begging you not to do this. Live long and stay with me. Those people, in Gotham, there's nothing you can do about them. They chose their way of life, it's horrible. Do you really want that? Do you want a life that is ugly and lonely? One that won't last long?"
"I'm not going to step away from this." Surprisingly enough her anger was kept at bay. The effects that this man had on her was just that, except for times when they fought, then the anger was at the fullest effect. "I've invested too much…"
"Now you're starting to sound like them." He sighed and unknowingly hit a nerve as she stood suddenly and began to walk away. Tony quickly followed. "Helena, don't! Stop!"
"Why?" She whirled around, so much for the anger being gone. "You know that we had no future together! Why are you making this harder than it needs to be?"
"Because I fell in love with you!" Tony stated, equaling her outburst. "I know you feel the same, do not pretend not to!"
"And you think that by saying that you're in love with me that you're going to save me?" Helena scoffed. "Love is exactly why I'm in this mess!"
"No, loyalty and hatred are." Having been tutored and gone to a good university in Italy, Tony was not an idiot. A simpleton at times, but not an idiot. "You're taking over the thing that you hate the most and perpetuating that hate in more ways than I want to think about. You think that you're going to bring them down but it is going to break you."
"I'm already broken." She wanted to curse at him.
"You're not." Tony disagreed. "You are not broken, Helena. Those people are that are ruining other's lives. Why do you want to be apart of that?"
"I won't…"
"You will." Moving forward, he cradled her cheeks. "Don't do this. You could die…"
"I…"
"And kill the rest of your family in the process." Her mouth immediately closed when he said that. Helena had not thought about that, and Tony knew as much. "These people know where you live and they know what it takes to break you. They could kill your family, the children that you have watched grow up, they could kill them. If you're not thinking of your own safety think of theirs. If you go, they will know that your grandmother told you things and they will punish her, you know this."
"You're terrible at arguing." Helena said after a pause.
"You only say that because I'm right." Tony smiled, he saw he think for a moment and before she could answer him, he cut her off entirely. "And you know that I would watch your family, but I can't protect your family from them."
"So you're saying that I have to stay in Italy to keep everyone safe?" She sighed. Although not completely convinced but she was sure that he would be able to help with that.
"Yes."
"And it has nothing to do with you?" Asking slyly, but he remained deadpan.
"Of course not." He shrugged. "But I'm saying that I wouldn't be hurt by the proposition."
"I hate your English."
"I hate your Italian."
Closing the door behind him, Bruce entered Wayne Manor through the side entrance, one that he guessed normally would have been used for servants from back in the day, but was the quickest way from the garage in the far back to the main part of the house. Considering it was a mild and beautiful out as the sunset, he decided to enjoy it while he could. As he went through the passage from the side entrance, he saw a figure standing at the other end, seemingly waiting for him.
"Late to the meeting, were we?" Alfred questioned, taking the case that he was absentmindedly carrying.
"Don't you and Fox have anything else to talk about?" He smirked, they began moving through the house at a relatively slow rate.
"To be fair, sir, Mrs. Wayne is often a topic of conversation as well as the Gordons and Mr. Fox's family." There was a pause before Alfred continued. "As well as the new guest."
"Where is she by the way?" Bruce questioned.
"Mrs. Wayne has her in the television room." They both stopped outside the halfway open door.
Bruce peered to see Selina sitting on the floor, her back resting against the couch, as Cassandra sat inches away from the large screen, starring at it, every once in a while her face moving to mimic the actor's on the screen. Selina watched, amused at the girl trying to replicate what the actor did.
"Has she been in here all day?" Bruce would have smiled at the girl's antics, if it wasn't truly heartbreaking. He would had considered himself a quite broken individual, but he had known all the emotions provided on the screen, he understood them, used them for his own purposes. However, he also acknowledged that he had people around him from an early age to teach him the proper response to these things. People clarifying how to react to others. Cassandra did not. Compared to her, he was lucky.
"She did a bit of wandering after you left and settled in here." Alfred confirmed. "She managed to turn it on without much trouble and has been here ever since." After a moment, Alfred spoke. "I'll go prepare dinner."
"Thank you, Alfred." Bruce said quietly, as he went into the den. Cassandra turned immediately to him, "It's okay, Cassandra, it's just me."
She resumed her previous position.
"Well you found us." Selina smiled, as he came to sit beside her, giving her a quick peck. "We're currently on the fourth episode of… this marathon."
"I can see how much you're enjoying it." He smirked, snaking his arm around her waist and letting the other lay limply in his lap.
"I tried to turn it to one of the shows that Maggie used to watch," She sighed, "but she's drawn to shows that have all this emotion. It reminds me why I never watch television."
"I'm sure that's not the only reason." Bruce huffed a breath of amusement.
"Speaking of busy." Selina went ahead. "We should get her on a normal routine, not ours."
"Fair enough." He saw that Cassandra had turned the upper half of her body to look at them. Then, lowered his voice. "Fair enough." Satisfied she went back to the screen. "I asked Fox about speech therapist, he doesn't know any, just schools."
"Well she can't go to school." Following his lead in voices, Selina also kept hers down. "I don't know if a therapist is a good thing either."
"She can't speak, we have to do something." Pointing out the fact, Bruce glanced over the enthralled girl. "Neither of us are speech therapist and I don't know if Alfred is up to the task."
"What about Babs?" She questioned, gauging his reaction. "She deals with kids all the time."
"She deals with graduate students." He didn't know where she was going with this. "Sometimes undergraduates."
"They're children." Selina shrugged, but then saw his face and elaborated. "Babs used to teach, as a graduate assistant, in a special needs school for computer technology. I'm going to assume that there may have been some kids that had speech issues."
"She works, Selina." It sounded good but Barb was already doing quite a bit for them, although on her own terms. "We can't ask her to do that."
"It would get her out of our ears." She saw the girl's face change to mimic the confused face on screen.
"Have you heard from her by the way?" He too casually asked.
"Don't start this again." Her eyes rolled. "She's a big girl, Bruce, if something were wrong, then she would knock on our door or infiltrate the computer systems downstairs debasing the poor man."
"Perhaps we should call her…"
"Bruce."
"What?" The disapproving look from his wife caused him to know that he made an error but of what, he wasn't sure. If only detective skills extended to the depths of female emotion.
"She'll let us know, when she wants." Selina shook her head, knowing he meant well, even if it came off a little over bearing. "When she does we can ask her about Cassandra. Perhaps she knows someone we can trust."
"You're worried about this leaking out to the press." He saw the shift in posture of the small person as she went to copy one of the actors on the screen.
"We should be." Selina agreed. "The press gets ahold of this, before she's ready to go out there, we can kiss any chance of something normal life good bye for her."
"Not to mention Cain and Talia." Bruce noticed the slight hitch of Cass's shoulders and the small shiver that went up her spine at the mention of the two names. Since the new arrival, he knew that Selina was overly concerned about the fact that Cassandra may be a mole, but from the way she acted, he felt that Cassandra wanted desperately to get away.
"Right." Selina sighed.
"We should also see what she's capable of. Perhaps take her downstairs and see." He suggested.
"You want to take her downstairs?" Needless to say she was surprised by the request.
"Why?" Brows narrowed.
"That's quite open of you." Then again, Bruce did not harbor the same distance from Cassandra.
"Wouldn't want her to ruin any china." He shrugged.
"Do you even know where the china is?" Selina gave a chuckle.
"Which set?"
"Smartass."
"We should see what she is capable of." Bruce continued.
"Maybe tomorrow." She agreed. "Let's work on emotions first."
Just then, Cassandra cocked her head at a scene and paused it. Bruce was curious as to why but got his answer soon enough. Then looked back to Selina and Selina softly explained it to her.
"They're friends, Cassandra." Selina spoke from her seat. "The dark hair woman is sad and the lighter hair woman is trying to make her happy, to comfort her."
Her brown eyes still wanting more.
"When people get sad they don't feel well…"
Cassandra made a punch motion.
"Not physical." Then Selina amended. "Sometimes physical, but mostly inside." Selina thought for a moment. "Have you ever cried?"
A head cock.
"Cried?" Selina made a finger come from her eye down her cheek. "Like water coming from here to here?"
No.
"Well people do it, when they're sad." Selina explained. "Sadness is not a good feeling."
That she understood and looked down.
"Have you felt sad?" Catching on to the girl's aliments, Selina wanted to reach out to this girl, but the nagging feeling that she was Cain's daughter made her worry.
Yes.
"Did… Cain, make you sad?"
Yes.
"Did he hurt you?" Selina wasn't sure what the girl was willing to share, but with the little communication that was available to Cassandra, she seemed highly willing.
A pause. Then she stood for a moment. Bruce watched on in anxiousness, curious as to what she would do. After a minute, Cassandra went into a bow, then began from the very start of a routine both Selina and Bruce remember from their childhood of their karate class. It was what would be considered the basics of the art. When she was done, Cassandra bowed again and looked expectantly to Selina.
"He…" Stumped, Selina wasn't sure what to make of the show that just happened. "Did he make you do routines all the time?"
A nod.
"He trained you." Bruce got it. "And that made you sad?"
Cassandra then went up to the two of them and lifted the small shirt she had on and pointed to a scar on her side. Then she twisted around and pointed to another one. Another, then another, until she sat down and pulled her shirt up and let them see the scarred and tiny back.
"Cain did this to you?" Selina let out a breath that she wasn't aware that she was holding. Pulling down the shirt, Cassandra turned to Selina, her knees to her chest. Despite her reservations about the girl, Selina slowly moved forward and took Cassandra into her arms, who stiffened, unsure of what to make of the contact. Her anxiety began to truly show when Bruce put a gentle hand on her back.
"He's not going to hurt you any more." Bruce assured the unsure girl, smoothing out her hair as she peered over Selina's shoulder at him.
As Selina felt a bit better as Bruce held her back, while holding the small girl, who was becoming a little more used to the interaction, she quietly stated, "We call this a hug, Cassandra, we hug to make the sadness go away."
Hello! So I hope this was a "back on track" chapter with family. As you can see John and Babs are well... the date went well but morning after... it's been awhile. As for Bruce and Selina, they'll get a babysitter soon ;) Please let me know what you think, question, want John to do to get Babs back, show love for Cassie or just feel!
-EV
