Barbara sighed dejectedly. After she'd sent Dick away, she'd gone back to the Batcave in hopes that Bruce was there and would explain why he'd kept all this from her. But it was prime patrol time, and the Batman had bad guys to scare. She'd have to yell at him another day. In his absence, Barbara wanted nothing more than to go home and dive into the background checks she'd previously done, desperate to find the details she'd missed.

She had been wracking her brain since the moment she'd seen the white hair, trying to figure out how she didn't know. Once the pieces had started coming together, it became painfully obvious that Jason Todd was the Red Hood. And yet she still couldn't believe it.

Throughout their friendship, Jason had been very indirect with telling her where he lived. Saying that he 'traveled for school' or something along those lines. He'd picked a fake job that would be a good cover for the hours he worked as the Red Hood. It explained the incredible shape he was in, the weird sleeping habits, the way he'd avoided her knife before. Everything.

Jason Todd was the Red Hood.

She repeated it over and over again in her mind, but it still didn't seem right. Something was missing, she decided as she walked down the hallway towards her apartment.

Reluctantly sighing, she opened the door, ready to close herself off in her bedroom and focus.

That plan immediately flew out the window when she stepped inside to see Jason in the kitchen, over a pot of white sauce and a pan with cooking chicken. He looked up from his gourmet dish and smiled at her. "Hey," he said, moving around the bar towards her. Barbara forced a smile back, letting him wrap his arms around her and kiss her. "How was your day?"

She looked up into his face. His eyes were bright, glowing green, scrunched up with the size of his smile. That familiar tuft of white hair fell over the left eye, the way it always had. The way the Red Hood's had. He'd told her it had always grown that way, white at the front. Now, everything she knew about him seemed not real. All because of that white tuft of hair.

"Really long," she said, pulling herself out of his arms. Part of her wanted to scream at him that she knew his secret, but the more rational part knew how unrealistic that was. She wouldn't be able to explain how she knew, and she needed more details. She needed to know how he hid this from her for so long. "I'm so ready for bed."

The happy look on his face dropped for a mere second. "I'm sorry, Babs," he said, turning back towards his cooking. "I'm making dinner if you're hungry."

She pursed her lips together in that forced smile once more. Lying was the hardest part. "I'm not right now," she said, putting a hand on her stomach. The events of the day had her stomach churning, threatening to push away any food she forced into it. "Maybe after I change and stuff though. Thanks, Jay."

Before he could say another word, she hurried to her room. Her speed was probably suspicious, but she didn't care. Being in the room with him made her uncomfortable now. She wasn't sure who she was talking to. Which person was he really?

That was a question she'd been avoiding. But once she saw him and spoke to him, she knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. Who was he, Jason or the Red Hood?

It was possible that he was both, though unlikely. They were so different. Maybe that's why it was so hard to believe that Jason and the Red Hood were one in the same. The Red Hood was reckless and irresponsible and a murderer. But Jason was sweet and funny and gentle. Aside from body type, Barbara couldn't see many similarities.

Groaning with irritation, she threw herself face first into her bed and turned on her TV. When she hit the pillows, she found that she suddenly didn't have the energy to move, or even change the channel on the TV. Whatever sitcom was on would have to do until Barbara's eyelids drooped with exhaustion.

**********LINE BREAKER!**********

She awoke to the sound of knocks on her bedroom door. Groggily turning to see Jason walking into her room, Barbara threw herself back into bed. "I am sleeping," she grumbled.

Jason chuckled. "What have you eaten today?" he asked, standing next to her bed. And it was then that Barbara smelled the amazing scents of Italian food wafting towards her, and realized she had not eaten hardly at all today. "I doubt you're not hungry, I know you used a lot of energy last night." Barbara could just imagine the smug look on his face.

Without answering his question, she turned over to look at him through narrowed eyes and sat up. He handed her a plate and a fork and sat down next to her on the bed. Barbara refrained from flinching, switching her view between Jason's face and the plate of chicken alfredo he'd handed her.

"Jay," she began, setting the plate down in her lap. "I don't want you to think this is a thing." His eyebrow raised quizzically at her words, a smirk playing at his lips. "I mean, just because we had sex doesn't mean that we're a thing. We're still just roommates, right?"

Jason chuckled lightly. "Yeah, Barb, I know that," he said, smiling at her. "But we are still friends and you still need to eat."

She smiled at him, feeling only slightly better about the tension in the room. Nonetheless, she picked up her plate once more and began engulfing the pasta he'd brought to her. Despite everything going on, Barbara could never claim Jason Todd wasn't a magnificent chef.

"What are you watching?" He asked, leaning back against the headboard, using his forearm as a pillow.

Through her bite of pasta, she responded "I wasn't. I was sleeping."

They laughed for a moment before Jason picked up the TV remote and turned on the guide. He flipped through channels for a few minutes before coming to rest on a murder documentary. Historically, it was Jason and Barbara's favorite thing to watch together. They'd make silly voices and backstories for the mug shots that appeared on screen and laugh about it for hours.

Barbara didn't think she had it in her to act like everything was normal with Jason after everything she'd found out, but it was almost too easy to fall into character with the silly voices. They laughed at the murderers and their accomplices for a few hours, well into the night until eventually Jason fell asleep, his head resting blissfully on Barbara's full stomach.

She rested her hand on his head, playing with the ebony hair along the base of his neck. The hours she'd spent with him watching these shows had been a relief. For that brief time, she'd forgotten who he really as, what he really did.

But as soon as the room fell silent, it all came crashing to the forefront of her mind like a semi-truck with no brakes. Soon, the sun would rise, bringing morning with it and a new day with the same problems. When would she tell him, she knew who he was, how would she tell him, how would he react. What would happen to their friendship?

Barbara was stuck there. Did she even want the friendship to continue? This friendship that had been built on lies. Jason, as a person, had meant so much to her. That much was true. But Jason, as a person, wasn't real. It was a façade he put up so that she wouldn't be able to see through him, so that she wouldn't see what he really was. Could she continue on in a friendship like that?

Every part of Barbara despised the Red Hood. There wasn't even a whispering voice anywhere in her mind that told her to give him a chance. So many times, she'd begged Bruce to let her bring him in. Good intentions aside, Red Hood was nothing more than another crime lord who murdered anyone in his way. Barbara couldn't overlook that about him.

But that was Jason.

Her friend, her roommate, whom she'd run extensive background checks on, was a murdering crime lord in her city. He was everything she opposed when she put on her own alter ego.

All of this melodramatic nonsense aside, there were still fifteen girls missing, and the unlikely duo was no closer to finding them. Barbara had been caught up in finding out the Red Hood's secret, figuring out who he was, focused on Jason. She hadn't put the proper amount of effort and concentration into finding those girls. If anything happened to them, it was on her.

Jason snored softly, his warm breath leaking through the fabric of her shirt onto her tummy. Despite everything, she smiled warmly looking down at him. Doubts and fear and stress plagued her mind, and those would all be there in the morning.

For now, Barbara wanted to sleep as soundly as her friend was.

**********LINE BREKAER!**********

"Right on time," Jason said, checking an imaginary wrist watch. "That's unusual for us."

Batgirl rolled her eyes. It seemed that her mood had only slightly improved from the previous night's encounter. Jason, however, was in a far worse mood today. He'd had to resort to using his spare helmet, which is the one he never wears. It's like wearing a new pair of shoes to run a marathon. It's just uncomfortable.

"Let's just get this over with," she said. Her eyes were fixated on him, the bloodshot bringing out the green in her irises. It was almost creepy. "We're running out of time."

Jason scoffed, annoyed. "So now you're in a hurry to find them, but yesterday-"

"I don't want to talk about yesterday." Her tone was vicious, cutting him off instantly. Her eyes were like daggers aimed at his throat. "I want to close this case, and get on with my life."

Jason crossed his arms. It wasn't often he found himself speechless, but here he was, nothing to retort to Batgirl's irritation. "Fine." He said, walking toward the edge of the rooftop. As he'd predicted, she followed him. "Since you were such a peach yesterday, I'm assuming you didn't do any of the work last night?"

Batgirl's eyes widened for a moment, before she shook her head no. He could see the hint of shame on her face before he continued his speech.

"Well, since I got sent home early, I did do some work." He jumped down onto the fire escape below, motioning for her to follow. "I have a very close contact, who shall remain anonymous. He keeps his ear to the pavement, that kinda stuff. I call him up last night, and he tells me that Louis Ramos has been buying technology from the same supplier as Jervis Tech."

Batgirl raised one eyebrow in confusion. "The Mad Hatter?" she asked.

"Bingo," he said, picking the lock on the window of the apartment they'd landed near. He ignored her questions and demands, instead going on with his explanation in his own way. "So, I figure that it's time we ask the main man himself, don't you?" He slides the window open and stands aside, gesturing for Batgirl to enter the apartment.

He can see her hesitation, but she cautiously moves toward the open window and climbs in. As Jason climbs in behind her, he hears her gasp softly.

Inside the nearly empty apartment, blindfolded and tied to a chair, sits Louis Ramos. His mouth is taped shut, but he still makes muffled noises in an attempt to call for help. Batgirl turns to look at him, fury in her eyes. "What did you do?" she demands.

"I separated him from his boys, that's what." Jason narrows his eyes at her, his own tone vicious now. "If you'll notice, I didn't hurt a hair on his precious little head. Bat standard hostage."

Batgirl looked back at the man struggling and looking blindly around the room. She pursed her lips into a narrow line, gears noticeably turning in her head. Finally, she looked back at Jason, a cautious but determined look in her eyes. "Well, start."

Jason was taken aback by her words, literally and figuratively. He found his tense body stance relaxed in confusion when she spoke. "Come again?" he asked.

"We're low on time, and so start hurting some hairs on his head. Get what you need, and let's go." Her words were clear, as was the underlying message in them. Don't cross that line. The threat that every member of the Bat clan had issued to him since his return from the other side. At least Batgirl had finally resorted to silent threats rather than long drawn out ones. It was a real time saver.

Smiling, Jason relaxed a little more. "I've been waiting for this since we started this case, Batsy," he said. Cracking his knuckles, Jason approached Ramos and removed his blindfold. The man's eyes widened upon looking up into the red helmet's permanently angry scowl. He looks over his shoulder one more time at Batgirl, making sure that she's not going to stop him. "Alright, Louis," he said, his voice a low rumble emanating from somewhere within his chest. "I'm going to give you exactly one chance to tell me what's happening to those girls you've been kidnapping before I ask you less nicely. Do you understand?"

Louis nodded frantically, fear obvious on his face. Jason was slightly disheartened by the other man's willingness to cooperate, but nevertheless removed the gag.

"I don't know nothing, man," Louis said. "I just deliver the girls, okay?"

Jason smiled. "Aw, Louis," he purred. "You couldn't just take my offer?" Confusion spread on the other man's face before Jason's powerful right hook came flying towards his face. Louis' cry of pain echoed through the empty apartment, gargled with blood collecting in his mouth. It oozed out between his lips as he cried up at Jason.

"Come on, man –"

Jason punched him once more. "I'm not your man," he spat, allowing a moment for Louis to sit up after that punch. "That's two chances that you've wasted, do you really want to waste another?"

Louis coughed and gagged, spitting his blood out onto the floor. He looked back up at Jason. His eyebrow had split and blood smeared down his face, trickling into his right eye and causing him to squint. Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks, mixing with the blood and carrying it further before it dried against his skin.

He stared up at his captor, pain contorting his expression. Jason stepped closer to him, pulling a Kris out with one hand and placing the other on the back of the chair. His figure loomed over Louis, shadowing the bound man. Very slowly, Jason dragged the edge of the blade along Louis' already bloodstained cheek. "I won't ask again," he whispered sweetly. "This is the last time you'll hear my voice. Tell me now, or things will get messier and messier until you come to your senses." Nearing his jawline with the knife, Jason swiped, leaving a shallow cut near his lip.

Louis winced in pain, his lower lip trembling. Jason could see the words in his mouth, ready to spill out.

Jason waited a moment for Louis to tell him what he wanted to know before he shrugged and looked at Batgirl. Swiftly he raised the knife above his head. Only then did Louis shout. "Wait!"

Frozen in mid-air, the tip of his Kris only inches away from Louis' thigh, Jason smiled beneath his helmet. "Yes, Louis? Do you have something you'd like to share with the group?"

Nodding frantically, Louis swore in Spanish under his breath before taking a shaky breath. "Yes, yes I know where the girls are." He looked over at Batgirl, patiently waiting with her arms crossed in the corner. "There's an old factory on Broadway and 67th. Used to pump out sneakers, you can't miss it. We've been dropping them off there."

Jason pulled his knife a few inches away, making Louis visibly relax. "Dropping them off for who?" He asked.

"A while back, we busted a Russian guy out of prison. Calls himself The Doctor. We get the girls, give them to him, he works his magic, and supposedly we're supposed to deliver them to the Italians." Louis looked once more at Batgirl, as if waiting for her to swoop in and save him. She remained unsettlingly still. "I didn't sign up for the job, my pops just put me in charge of it."

Jason leaned back, almost a full foot away from Louis now. "You 'supposedly' deliver them?" He asked. "Have you not delivered any yet?"

Louis shook his head. "No," he said frantically. "Doctor hasn't finished any yet. Keeps saying 'perfection takes time' or something," Louis spit blood once more, shivering slightly. "It's hard to understand him. His accent and all that."

Looking back at Batgirl, Jason pulled back from Louis and began circling him, twirling the Kris between his fingers as he did so. "What do you think, Bats? Do we have what we need?"

Batgirl stared at Louis, hatred in her eyes. Jason could see that she wanted to hurt him just as badly as he did. But even Jason wouldn't let her. They still needed him. Batgirl nodded slowly, reluctantly. She uncrossed her arms, placing her hands on her hips instead.

That was all the permission he needed.

Jason suddenly raised the knife and brought it down. Hard. It swiftly sliced through the duct tape that kept Louis in the chair, effectively freeing his hands. He stepped around the chair once more, bringing his face uncomfortably close to Louis'. "When you leave here, go tell them we're coming for them." With that, he and Batgirl exited the way they came, silently into the night.