*DC owns every character except Jasmine, though she was created from DC characters*

Chapter 14

Darkness. The pitch black brought a feeling of numbness. It took away the pain and it took away the guilt and disappointment. For the moment, it was a kind of savior. An escape. Perhaps, this was what it was like to die. Just floating in an endless void, numb, with no thoughts or feelings, or sense of what is happening, but it is peaceful and calm. There aren't any grievances or destruction, but there isn't any joy or happiness either. However, eventually the light comes. It always does. Dark can't be without light, and light without dark. The dark and the light will always find each other eventually, like a destined couple meant to be. While dark takes away, light gives. They are polar opposites, and fit with the other like puzzle pieces. Light and dark. That was what life was, and there was no escaping either of them. So as the light slowly chased away the darkness, the numbness and brought back the thoughts, feelings and the harsh cold truth of reality, it also brought the world back into view.

Jasmine's eyes had opened.

It had been almost blinding, and Jasmine had to squint her eyes a bit before fully opening them. As her vision focused, a small moment of confusion washed over her, wondering exactly where she was. It definitely wasn't her room in one of those three houses. She sat up and leaned back against the bed, gazing around the area for a moment before everything came back to her. She was Batgirl. Her father had Jason. She had been taken and tortured, then took what she believed would have been a bullet for Dick, which ended up being a syringe full of poison. Dick brought her back to the Batcave and Alfred had been working feverishly…then…then…darkness.

The guilt and self-disappointment then hit her on full force and she winced, placing her head in her hands. It had been her fault for getting taken in the first place. If she had just listened to Dick and followed the instructions Bruce gave her, it never would have happened. It had been the fatigue. It slowed her down and made her careless, which was exactly what Dick had warned her about. Then, it was fire. Somehow, the False Face Society had figured out her phobia, and by using it, they were able to knock her unconscious and take her back to some warehouse. Of course, she eventually found out her father had released the information, which came at no surprise to her. In fact, it had been what she assumed anyways.

The whole night had been focused on her mistake, when it should have simply been focused on finding Jason. Not only did she ruin Bruce and Dick's plans for finding the lost boy for that night, but she also damaged their trust and proved to be weak, and weak was the very last thing Jasmine wanted to be along with distrusted. Remembering how she screamed when the fire was pressed to her skin made her grit her teeth in self-hatred. *Weak. I can't believe I screwed up this badly.*

Raising her head from her hands, Jasmine gave a soft sigh before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. There was only one thing to do at this point. Get stronger. She would need to train nonstop and prove herself once again that she was capable of handling her own problems. She stood up, only for her left knee to buckle at the searing pain that shot up from her sprained ankle. She had fallen into a crouch, her ankle now feeling as though it was throbbing. Jasmine narrowed her eyes before closing them. The poison must have really drained all of her energy and strength. Even if she did have a high pain tolerance, everyone had their breaking point. Carefully, Jasmine shifted her weight to her right foot and was able to stand up before simply sitting back on the edge of the bed, scanning for her brace since she was still set on training. It was the sound of footsteps that caught her attention, however, and she looked over at the door as it opened. Alfred came inside the room, only to look at her and give a smile.

"Ah, Madam Jasmine. You have finally awoken. You must be terribly famished. Let me get you something to eat." He said, about to turn back. Now that she was made aware of hunger, she began to feel the gnawing in her stomach. She really was ravenous. Before she could really say much of anything, Alfred was already off to get food. Sighing lightly, she continued her sweep of the room to find her brace, which didn't seem to be there.

Having no other choice but to really just lean back and wait for Alfred, Jasmine decided that checking her ankle was a better time now than any. So, pulling her legs up, she carefully looked to the injury. A rather big bruise had already formed, and it was still swollen, which made sense considering the extent of the injury. She wished that it would heal quicker than it was, but she knew that sprains took time. A minor one took about a week or so, but a major could take two weeks and even a month. It was simply a case of bad luck that she had gotten it now of all times. At least with her pain tolerance and brace she was able to maneuver in it and go out into Gotham, even if it limited her movement by a little.

"Here you are, Madam Jasmine." Alfred said as he returned with a tray of pancakes and water. The aroma of the pancakes were intoxicating, and Jasmine felt a painful pang in her stomach, as if it were impatient to obtain the food.

"Thank you, Alfred." She said, sitting and up and taking the tray, though she wished that she could have simply just walked down to the kitchen to eat. It felt odd for her to eat in bed. However, she was much too hungry to think too much about it, and simply cut of a piece of a pancake and ate it, closing her eyes in bliss at the taste.

"These are amazing." She breathed before taking another bite, only to hear Alfred chuckle softly.

"I am glad to know they are to your liking, Madam." He responded and she smiled lightly.

"So…how long have I been asleep? Not too much more than a few hours, right?" She asked, looking up at Alfred before taking another bite. He seemed rather…nervous before answering, making Jasmine frown in question.

"Well, not exactly a few hours. You've been unconscious for three days, Madam Jasmine." Alfred said slowly and she froze just as she began to cut another piece.

"Three days?! But that's…how would…" She exclaimed, slowly trailing off in her disbelief with her eyes wide. Surely her injuries hadn't been that bad! There was no way she could have been out for three days.

"Yes. You almost died, Madam. Not only that, but the poison took a toll on your body along with the torture you endured. If you remember, you also had not slept the night before, putting you into fatigue. It is no wonder that you have been out for three days." He said to her calmly and she was silent for a moment, still shocked that she had slept for 72 hours. So much could happen in three days, and she missed all of it. Setting the tray aside, she then swung her legs over the side, about to stand up.

"Madam Jasmine, lie back down this instant! You need to regain your strength, not overwork yourself." Alfred said strictly and she paused for a moment.

"Alfred, I've been out three days. With Jason gone, that is three days too many. I need to catch up on everything and get back to working." She responded, only for Alfred to stand in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest stubbornly.

"Master Dick and Master Bruce can take care of things while you are resting. Master Jason wouldn't want you to work yourself to death, now would he?" He said firmly and Jasmine sighed, glancing at the stubborn butler for a moment before reluctantly shifting back into bed and picking up the tray once more to eat.

"Alright Alfred. You win. At least tell me what Bruce and Dick have figured out though." She sighed, finishing up the first pancake then moving onto the next.

"Not much, Madam Jasmine. Every lead they have had led them on wild goose chases. They found…: He trailed off and she fixed her eyes on him seriously.

"Found what?"

Alfred took a deep breath before he met her eyes and speaking, "A disc that contained a video of the Joker torturing Master Jason."

Jasmine gripped the fork in her hand tightly and her other balled into a fist. "Let me see the video. I may be able to pinpoint its location." She said lowly and Alfred shook his head.

"Master Bruce and Master Dick were able to trace the video to a certain location, but by the time they got there, it was abandoned once again." He said sadly and she closed her eyes. They were getting nowhere on this case, and Jason was still out there with her sadistic father.

Jasmine lapsed into silence then, eating the pancakes quickly so she could get started with her day. There wasn't any more time to waste. Too much of it has already been taken away, and with the clock still ticking, every second was precious. Alfred left at some point as she had been eating, though since she hadn't been paying too much attention to her surroundings due to being focused on eating the food quickly, she couldn't exactly say when the butler made his exit, or why he did. Just as she was finishing her last pancake, the smallest sound of a footstep caught her attention and she glanced up, seeing Bruce standing in the doorway. His blue eyes were mostly unreadable, and while she thought she saw a hint of relief in his eyes, it was gone before she could really decipher it. His lips were set in a thin line and everything about him was serious.

At his presence, Jasmine couldn't bear to meet his eyes. She lowered hers down, ashamed at her actions three days before. She had probably been an embarrassment, and she wouldn't be surprised if he was here to tell her that she could no longer be Batgirl for now and they would need to continue training her in the fundamentals once again. She had been so easily taken. All it took was a bit of fire. Really, the night had started off rather well. She had been on a roof, eavesdropping on a group of the Black Mask's men and Joker's men. When she had decided that the men had nothing important to say, she had stood up, and that lightheadedness washed over her like in her fight with Dick. It had made her unsteady, and she had shuffled to the side to lean against a wall. However, this small shuffle had been enough to catch their attention. It had been lucky that the lightheadedness left her as they began to come forwards, and she spun on her heels, about to run off, only to stop as a larger man stood before her with a wide smile, only to hold up a lighter and some kind of spray bottle. At the time, it had been too dark to see just exactly what it was that the metal bottle contained. In one fast movement, he switched the lighter on then sprayed the contents of the bottle, creating a makeshift flamethrower. The fire had been aimed directly at Jasmine, who had staggered back in horror, a scream caught in her throat. The heat of it brought back bad memories of the fire from her childhood, like the way the smoke tore at her throat and burned her lungs, how the fire slowly burned her skin in a torturous manner and the way it flickered in a sadistic kind of glee as it spread in its never-ending hunger for destruction. It just so happened that with the inclusion of the fire, she had completely forgotten about the men behind her, who she had backed into, and had been knocked out before awakening in the Sionis warehouse, strapped to a chair. The man torturing her had been trying to get Batman and Nightwing's identity from her, but there was obviously no way she was going to tell them that. The man had used a series of torturing techniques, like beating and slow cuts with a knife to taking her hand and holding it about a lighter until her palm burned. He included the fire the most, and after a short while, she hadn't been able to hold back her screams. She would remain silent on the other injuries, but she hadn't been able to handle the fire.

"How are you?"

Bruce's voice pulled Jasmine out from her memories of last night, and she slowly raised her eyes, though didn't make eye contact with him, "I'm fine," She responded in a soft voice, coming to the conclusion that Alfred had left to inform Bruce of her awakening.

"Good, because you are going to have training today at twelve sharp. I expect to see you down no later." He said firmly and she nodded.

"Of course," Jasmine responded. So it was as she had assumed. She lost her title until she had further training. The loss of what she had worked so hard for felt like a twisting knife in her stomach. As Bruce turned to leave, a question occurred to her, "Bruce, where is Dick?"

Bruce paused and looked at her from over his shoulder, surprised to see him giving a light smile, since it was rare to see him smile with regular circumstances and it was almost nonexistent ever since Jason has been taken, "In his room. He's hardly been able to sleep, so I ordered him to get some rest so he won't be too tired when tonight comes around." He said, his tone of voice telling her that there was deeper meaning behind what he said. Jasmine winced slightly, having gotten the message right away. She had disobeyed his orders by going out that night three days ago instead of resting, and the night had ended in disaster for her. She should have listened and done as she was told instead of acting on her own accord.

"Right…sorry." She said, looking down, only to hear him sigh slightly before turning and walking over to her. She was surprised to feel his hand rest on her shoulder and she looked up at him, meeting his somber blue eyes.

"Jasmine, I understand why you disobeyed my orders. If I had been you, I probably would have done the same. We are on an unknown time limit, and any minute or second could be the deadline to save Jason. However, everyone still has their limits, including you. You can't ignore your own needs, because if you are dead or put out of commission, then you won't be able to help Jason at all. In times like these, I need you to follow my orders so I don't have to worry about you as well." He said to her, his tone serious but also soft.

Jasmine looked to him after he spoke and she smiled to him, "I understand, Bruce."

Bruce removed his hand then turned on his heels and walked back to the door, he glanced back at her from over his shoulder for a moment once again, "Don't forget. 12 sharp. Ah yes, and Dick is probably awake. He's been staying at your side constantly the past three days despite my orders for him to rest. You're not the only rebellious one, Jasmine." He said before facing forwards and walking out the door silently.

Jasmine glanced at the clock to check the time, which was 11:00 exactly, then watched him go, surprised at his comment about Dick. Had he really stayed at her side that much? This question soon left her mind, however, and she lightly smiled at the comment he had made about her not being the only rebellious one. Yes, Bruce wasn't exactly the most emotional person, but he had a good heart, and it was evident that he honestly cared about the Bat Family. She truly understood how both Dick and Jason looked up to him as a father figure, and it wasn't just because the two of them were younger when Bruce had been placed into their lives. Bruce Wayne was simply a respectable man, and he was easy to look up to. Jasmine could feel the beginning of a similar adoration for the man herself. Joker had been a father figure to her when she was much younger. That is, before Risuka had stepped into her life and changed everything. It was almost ironic how the second person she saw in such a way was Bruce, considering he was Batman.

Setting the now empty tray aside, Jasmine swung her legs over the bed and stood up, making sure to keep her weight focused on her right foot. She then hopped around the room, looking everywhere for her missing brace. It was then that Alfred returned, watching as she hopped to and fro with a small chuckle, only to hold the brace up.

"Are you looking for this, Madam?" He asked and Jasmine looked over and blushed faintly in embarrassment before laughing slightly.

"Yeah, that would be it," She said as Alfred walked over and handed it to her, "Thank you, Alfred."

"Not a problem, Madam Jasmine." He replied in a chipper voice, watching as she strapped the brace onto her left foot before bowing formally and leaving.

Jasmine stood up straight then glanced down at herself. She was still in her Batgirl suit, and the realization that she hadn't taken a shower in three days made her wrinkle her nose before pulling out an arrangement of clothes and heading to the bathroom, silently thanking whoever it was who created the brace that was now relieving the pain from her sprained ankle as she walked. Turning on the shower, she brushed her teeth and undressed in her wait for the water to heat up before stepping in. The water washed over her, and she winced slightly, feeling the small burns on her body react to the heat, though the pain vanished rather quickly, allowing her to enjoy the warmth of the water. As she lathered shampoo into her hair then conditioner, she pondered what Bruce would be training her on. Despite her earlier assumption, she now did not believe he had taken her down from the mantle of Batgirl based off of what he had said to her earlier, considering he had said that he probably would have done the same thing. Of course, Jasmine also understood that even though she has taken the mantle, it didn't mean that she never had to train again. She still had much to learn. For all the girl knew, it was going to just be a regular training session.

Turning the shower off, Jasmine stepped out and dried off before using the towel to wring the water out of her hair so it was simply damp instead of dripping wet. Then, she pulled her clothes and brace on before glancing at herself in a mirror for a moment. She had dressed in clothes that she could wear to training, since there wasn't much of a point in putting on one thing only to take it off an hour afterwards. The pants were black and rather skin tight, since it was supposed to resemble her Batgirl suit. However, her shirt was an athletic red tank top that, while more free flowing than the pants, would still allow her to move quickly without holding her back.

Before leaving her room, Jasmine ran a brush through her slightly wet hair before walking out. At the moment, she had two options. See if Bruce's assumption of Dick being awake was correct, or head down to train early. At first, the question seemed obvious. Of course training would be the number one priority. After three days off, she wouldn't be in her best physical condition, well, best physical condition with a healing sprained ankle. However, as she passed Dick's room, she paused and looked over at it. The last recollection she had of him was when he was holding her hand and said her name. Then everything went dark. If what Bruce said about Dick staying beside her as she was unconscious was true, then he deserved to know that she was awake. Besides, she couldn't help but feel the want to see the boy.

Stepping up, Jasmine knocked on the door three times and waited for it to be answered. When no one did, and a single sound wasn't even heard on the other end, she contemplated leaving. Perhaps he wasn't there. However, she decided that it wouldn't hurt to look and quietly opened his door and stepping into the room. Dick's room was clean, as it always was whenever she saw it. It was well taken care of, and hardly anything seemed out of place. Everything was put in order or organized in neat stacks. The only messy side of his room was where a thumbtack board was hanging up, containing lines connecting to certain places and people. Some of these clues had 'x's drawn on them, showing they were incorrect. In the middle of all of it was a picture of Jason. Next to the board was a cluttered desk, which had files and quickly scrawled notes across it. In the center of it all was Dick, who was sitting in the chair before the desk. He was clearly asleep, a pencil resting unmoving in his right hand and his head placed on top of his left arm. The position of the way he was sleeping told Jasmine that he had not meant to fall asleep, but had been gripped by exhaustion to a point where he had unintentionally dozed off.

Quietly walking over, Jasmine took a smaller blanket from his bed and rested it over his shoulders. Glancing to his face, she couldn't help but note the peaceful look he had as he slept, as though nothing was wrong or worrying him. She wished that she could take him from the chair and to his bed, since sleeping in such a position would probably be uncomfortable, especially when waking up, but she simply just wasn't strong enough to, and would rather not wake him. It was evident that he needed this rest. So, Jasmine turned and began to walk to the door, making her sure footfalls were light and barely audible. Just as she reached it and was about to head out, her wrist was grabbed gently. Blinking in surprise, she glanced over her shoulder, seeing Dick standing there. She hadn't even heard him wake up, let alone stand and walk over to her.

"I'm sorry I wok-" She began, only to cut off as he tugged her to him. Her eyes widened as she was pulled to his chest, her hands resting upon it, and felt his arms come around her tightly. She could feel the quickening of his heart beneath her fingertips and the almost shaky intake of his breathes. One of his hands rested on the small of her back, holding her close to him, and his other hand was rested lightly on the back of her head. She could feel his fingers playing with her hair slightly.

"Dick?" She breathed softly in question. He was silent for a moment and she lifted her eyes up to him, surprised to meet his blue-gray gaze, and found that she couldn't look away from him.

"I thought that you were going to die." He said quietly, moving his hand from her hair and gently rested it against her uninjured cheek, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone lightly. Jasmine caught her breath lightly at his light touch, getting distracted by it and their closeness for a moment before giving him a light smile.

"Me? Die? C'mon Dick, we both know that isn't going to happen any time soon." She said lightheartedly, and was relieved to see a smile curving on his lips.

"Way to ruin the moment, Quinn." He chuckled, moving his hand away from her cheek and rested it on her waist.

"I try." Jasmine smiled teasingly in response before becoming more serious. "You should get some rest. I heard that you haven't slept all that much."

"I haven't been able to sleep and I haven't had the time to. There are simply too many things to worry about and too many things to accomplish and consider." He sighed lightly before looking to her in what seemed to be amusement, "Looks like we have switched sides, huh?"

"So it seems." Jasmine said with a small laugh before looking up at him, her blue-green eyes troubled, "I'm so sorry for not listening to your advice, Dick. You were completely right, and I shouldn't have gone out. I should have rested, and because I didn't, I caused unneeded distress and worry." She said, lowering her eyes, only or Dick to gently tilt her head back up to meet his serious eyes.

"Hey. There is no need to beat yourself over what has already been done. What happened to you happens to the best of us, including me. All that matters is that you are safe and alive." He said in a gentle tone.

"But-"

"It doesn't matter what you think you did wrong, Jasmine. In the end, what's truly important is that you are alive and here with me, Alfred and Bruce. There is something I have recognized about you. You put other people and things before your own life, and while this is a good quality, it is only good to an extent. Jasmine, your life is just as precious and valuable as mine, Bruce's, Jason's, Alfred's…anyone's!" He said firmly and she parted her lips for a moment, at a loss of words before frowning slightly. The thing was, he was entirely right, and she hadn't expected him to figure it out.

"Dick, I'm the daughter of Joker and Harley Quinn. They have taken so many innocent lives, and two of those taken were my fault. Mine. If my life were to be taken, then it would be justified. My life isn't as precious or valuable as other people. It's expendable and corrupt, so in the end, if I were to die, it wouldn't be as drastic as you, Bruce or Jason dying," She said evenly and she felt his muscles seem to stiffen slightly, making her meet his eyes curiously, only to be startled to see his blue-gray eyes blazing intensely.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you. I don't care what you have done in your past, and I sure as hell don't care who your parents are. You aren't defined by what your parents have decided to do with their lives. What defines you is what you decide to do with your life now. You, Jasmine Quinn, are Batgirl. You help the innocent people of Gotham and you have decided not to be like your parents. Those two lives. Did you kill them? Were you the one who stole their lives?" He asked fiercely.

"Well, not exactly.-"

"And how old were you when they happened?"

"Five and fifteen."

"Then it was not your fault. Not only were you not the one who took their lives, but you were a kid. So stop blaming yourself for their deaths." He said to her strictly and she stared up at him, speechless. How was it that he believed in her like this so strongly? How was it that he was always able to tell her the complete opposite of what she has told herself for years with complete confidence?

"I don't get how you understand me like this." She whispered and he gazed into her eyes, leaving her trapped under his stormy blue-gray eyes.

"It's because I know you, Jasmine. I don't need your backstory to fully understand your thought process. All I need to know is who you are." He said to her softly and leaned closer to her, "You put yourself down constantly, and you think the purpose in your life is to redeem your parents' sins and your own. You haven't even considered the possibility that you are more important than just a weapon, because you have been treated like one your whole life. But you are. You're important to me, Jasmine," He said, cupping her face in his hands gently, "When I thought you were going to die…I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. You walked into my thoughts and my life the very first day we met, and you haven't left once. God, it's so wrong for me to think about you constantly when Jason is still missing, but it's true. These past three days, I was constantly thinking about you and what would happen if you never opened those bright eyes of yours. What I would do if you didn't. Jasmine, please don't underestimate your value and think that your death is justified, because if you died…" He trailed off with that, and Jasmine became aware that their faces were rather close. Her heart was racing and she could feel an almost lightness in her chest. The small feeling off something trailing down her cheek caught her attention, and she realized that it was a tear. She wasn't used to crying but what he said…it stunned her, and it also filled her with an indescribable happiness that seemed to fill her very being. It was overwhelming, and while Jasmine typically wasn't emotional, this time, she was.

*What is this?* She thought to herself. It wasn't a bad feeling, it was just…odd. New. Of course, she has felt it before, but never at this intensity. What was it? What did it mean, and why was it that she only experienced it around Dick?

"I won't die." She whispered, feeling his thumbs brush away her tears and she gazed into his eyes and smiled with genuine warmth and…something else. She didn't know what the emotion was, but it made a gentleness fill her, "I think I've found another purpose."

Dick's eyes softened and he smiled at her. They stood there, gazing into each other's eyes. Jasmine's heart was pounding inside her chest, and she was so sure that he could hear it. Their faces were close to the other and as Dick leaned forward a bit, Jasmine slowly drew out of his arms, feeling her cheeks burning and that uneven pounding of her heart. It felt so unnatural. What if something was wrong with her? Not only that, but why had he been leaning forward? Her mind was spinning with questions and she glanced at a clock, her eyes widening when she realized it was 11:55.

"I-I have to go. Train, I mean. I have to go train." She said hurriedly, stumbling over her words in a rush from how flustered she was at the moment. Dick regarded her with an almost amused light in his eyes and nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you later then, Jazz." He said, lifting a hand to her in farewell and she offered a small smile in return before turning around and walking out of his room.

As Jasmine closed the door behind her, she pressed a hand to her heart, feeling it starting to slow a bit and breathed out in relief, though that almost fuzzy feeling inside of her was still lingering. There wasn't much she could do about the confusing emotions at the moment or else she would be late, so she took off at a jog down the hallways until she reached the secret entrance to the Batcave and quickly took it down. She shifted from foot to foot impatiently as the elevator descended down to the caves. When it finally opened she jogged out and to the training area, where Bruce was already waiting. At her arrival, he checked his watch before looking up at her.

"You made it exactly on time. Good." He said and she breathed out in relief. Tardiness was dealt with one hundred push ups and fifteen laps…around the Batcave, not just the training area. Then, she noticed his hand go to his waist and she quickly moved onto the balls of her feet, ready to dodge and possibly catch batarang or something. However, instead he casually tossed a lighter at her. As it lazily came towards her, she stepped away from it warily, letting it hit the ground and slide over where it rested just at her feet.

"Well, since you didn't catch that, go ahead and pick it up." Bruce ordered and she glanced at him for a moment, those his eyes and face were impossible to read. However, even though she didn't want to, she slowly bent down and picked the lighter up, feeling almost sick to her stomach at the coldness of the metal pressed to the palm of her hand.

"Good. Now turn it on." Bruce said and her eyes snapped to his.

"Bruce, I can't-"

"Turn it on, Jasmine." He said strictly and slowly.

Swallowing hard, Jasmine glanced down at the lighter and moved her thumb up to the switch, this time her heart racing in fear. She hesitated before pressing it, but finally did. As the orange flame burst from the top, she instantly dropped it, letting the lighter clatter to the ground. Her breathes were shaky and she closed her eyes to calm herself down.

"Again. This time, hold it longer." Bruce called and she slowly opened her eyes, glancing at him. He was trying to break her phobia. Or at least, teach her how to contain it. Risuka had already tried to do this and failed, and Jasmine simply saw it as futile.

"I can't do this, Bruce. I've already tried to conquer my phobia before, and it didn't come close to succeeding." She said and he narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, you can, and you will, because this fear of yours is going to get you killed. I'm not going to let you return to the streets until you learn how to suppress it. So if you want to continue being Batgirl, then you'll listen to my instruction," He said sharply and she gritted her teeth before bending down once again and picking up the lighter. Holding it away from her, she reluctantly pressed the switch, making the flame spring from the top. Her hand shook as she held the lighter, making the little flame flicker to and fro, but she held onto it like her life depended on it despite her instant mental response in wanting to throw it away from her as far as she could.

"Good. Now bring it closer."

Jasmine looked at him, her eyes desperate for him to take back his order and train her in fighting, or…anything but this. However, his face remained unchanging and his eyes set seriously. So, focusing her attention back on the lighter, she slowly bent her elbow, bringing the light just a tad bit closer to her, though not by much.

"Closer."

*This is going to be impossible.* She thought to herself in distress, but this time brought it much closer to her so that it was only about a foot away from her chest. She could feel herself start to tremble at how near the flame was and had to clench her other hand into a fist to keep it from shaking. Her heart was racing in fear, but she continued to hold strong.

"I want you to bring it up to your face." Bruce called once more.

Disbelief filtered through Jasmine. To her face? *I have to…I need to remain Batgirl…it's only a few inches and then I'm done.* She thought to herself, breathing shakily as she slowly moved the lighter closer to her face. Her hand clenching the lighter was shaking terribly, and each small movement that brought the little fire closer allowed her to feel the heat coming from it and the small trail of smoke expelling from the top. She could feel it getting harder to breath and was only able to get it a little bit closer before she just couldn't do it anymore. She let the lighter clatter to the ground and rested head in her hands, trying to calm down and breathe normally. Her whole body was trembling and she could feel tears of frustration prick at her eyes. *I'm so pathetic. I can't even hold a damn lighter.*

"Try it again."

"I can't do that again!" She exclaimed, losing hope in ever being able to accomplish this. She then glanced up at the sound of his footsteps.

"Fine. Then I'll do it for you." He said, leaning down and picking up the lighter. Jasmine took a small step away from him.

"Please don't do this." She whispered and Bruce sighed as he straightened up and met her eyes.

"You need to learn how to control this, Jasmine. I'm not doing this to punish or torture you. I'm doing this to help you."

Jasmine knew that Bruce was telling the truth. Taking a shaky breath, she stood in place as Bruce walked up to her, pressing down on the lighter's switch and making a flame come out on top. Once again, she felt her hands begin to tremble and as Bruce came closer to her with that little flame, she could feel it getting almost hard to breathe with the remembrance of smoke filling her lungs taking effect. By instinct, she started to back away and Bruce's hands snatched out, catching her wrist and stopping her from backing up.

"No. You need to face this." He said sharply, bringing the flame so close that she could feel the small heat it expelled on her face.

Through the orange of the flame, it seemed as though her sight warped, and instead of Bruce, she saw the grinning face of her father. Around that, the edges of her vision were red, as though she herself was stuck in a fire. It felt as though smoke had filled her chest, and her breathes came out short and fast. Then, her father's voice echoed in her ears. What can I say? She's Daddy's little girl and a gunshot rang in her ears, making her eyes fill with tears.

"NO!" She screamed, losing rationality and bursting quickly into action. Using her right forearm, she pushed Bruce's arm away, moving the fire to the side. Immediately after moving his arm back, she lunged forward, swinging her left arm, her dominant one, in a punch, her small flashback still lingering in her mind.

Everything then happened very quickly. Bruce moved in what seemed to be a blur, easily dodging her punch and pushed his hand against her back, making her fall to the ground on her hands and knees. She breathed heavily, her head ducked, casting her eyes in shadow, and body trembling faintly. Slowly, her mind began to clear and she squeezed her eyes shut. She struck out against Bruce. Even if he hadn't gotten hit, she still failed. Not only wasn't she able to face her fear, but she completely broke down. Opening her eyes, she stared down at the ground, only to hear light footsteps coming around to her front.

"Your fear of fire. There is a deeper part of it, isn't there? It isn't focused only on the fire." Bruce said lowly and she slowly looked up at him. His face was expressionless, but he didn't seem to be angry or even really disappointed.

"…yes." She whispered.

"You're scared of becoming what your parents raised you to be. Am I right?" He spoke and she was silent for a moment.

"Every single day." She said quietly.

"Fire. Fire taps into this fear because of what happened that night you were caught in that fire and Joker killed the police officer." Bruce mused and she nodded slowly.

"Yes, but it was my words that lead to his death. I smiled that day. I was becoming their perfect creation. To be like that in any way…I would rather be burned than to be that again." She said lowly and fiercely.

"Joker would have killed him whether you said something or not, Jasmine." Bruce said and she shook her head fiercely.

"That's not the point, and you know it!"

"You were a five year old who had not been exposed to anyone but your parents. You were taught that evil deeds and killing was ethical. Anyone else in your shoes at that age would have done the same. You need to forgive yourself for what happened fourteen years ago if you ever want to conquer this fear of fire you have," Bruce spoke to her evenly and slowly stood up, "We're done with training today. Get some rest." He said, and then walked off without another word.

Jasmine didn't move. She stayed there on her hands and knees for a few moments before slowly sitting up, gazing expressionlessly at the wall ahead of her. He said something along the lines of what Dick has told her. Like mentor like apprentice, she supposed. How could either of them understand? They didn't go through what she did. At the moment, she was still a disappointment. A failure, because in the long run, she couldn't just forgive herself for what had happened. According to Bruce theory, she won't be able to beat this phobia of fire unless she does, which means that she's screwed. It was a good run, trying to be good, but in the end, fate once again denied it to her. Glancing over at the lighter, anger filled her and she reached out and snatched it, her frustration overpowering the wariness that usually came when near a lighter, and threw it against the wall, as though it would solve all of her problems. Of course, it didn't, and the lighter simply bounced off and clattered to the ground and few times before lying still.

"Maybe I can help."

Jasmine slowly looked over and saw Dick. She glanced away and ducked her head before shaking it, "No. It would be a useless effort." She said and he sighed she heard him walk over, but simply just stayed where she was.

"I heard what happened. Bruce is right about one thing. You do need to forgive yourself. However, I don't think it is the only way that fear of yours can be suppressed. It would be the most effective way, sure, but I have another idea, if you would let me try it." He said, bending down and picking up the lighter.

"If you heard what happened, then you should know this is a waste of time. If you honestly think that your idea is going to work, then be my guest, but don't be surprised when it doesn't pull through." She said bitterly, only to hear him chuckle.

"Come on, Jazz. Have a little confidence in me." He said as he walked up to her.

I'm simply being realistic." She said lowly and he shook his head.

"No. You're acting hopeless," He began then wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest, making her eyes widen in surprise and look up at his calm and confident gaze, "There is a difference."

"Dick. What are you doing?" She asked, her body stiffening as she heard the click of the lighter's switch being used. Her eyes darted to the side, seeing the flame close to the side of her face. That fear entered her again, and she tried to pull out of his arm.

"Hey, Jasmine, I want you to look at me. Only me, that's all, okay?" He said sharply, making Jasmine snap her eyes back to his. She looked into his eyes and nodded only slightly. However, she was all too aware that he was moving the lighter closer and closer to her. She could feel the small outburst of heat getting hotter and hotter with each passing second.

*I'm going to snap again if he keeps going.* She panicked in her head and began to push against his chest, "Stop. Let me go!"

"No, Jasmine. Look at me. Don't look at the lighter." He ordered and she swallowed hard and slowly met his eyes again.

As he brought the lighter closer, she started struggling once again. However, before she could utter a single word, Dick's lips pressed against her own in a soft and sweet kiss. At this movement, her mind went entirely blank. It was as though the fire near her didn't exist. She didn't even notice it as Dick moved it right beside her cheek to a point that if it moved any further, it would burn her. Fear was soon replaced by that confusing feeling that washed over every inch of her, and her heart began to drum loudly inside of her chest. At the same time, she also felt light, and could barely think.

When Dick pulled back from the kiss, Jasmine's thoughts all exploded inside of her head at once. What happened between them there definitely wasn't something that friends typically do. Didn't Dick think of her as a friend? He always said that he did, but after that…her thoughts drifted back to their earlier conversation and her cheeks burned. Had he almost kissed her there as well? All these unknown emotions were so overwhelming, and Jasmine didn't understand what they meant. She staggered back from Dick, who was gazing at her in what seemed like concern.

"Jasmine…are you okay?" He asked and she snapped her eyes to his, only to feel her cheeks burning again, which made her instantly avert her gaze.

"Y-Yes, just…uhm…I need to…upstairs and rest." She stuttered, her sentences broken up, which only furthered her embarrassment. With that, Jasmine spun on her heels and ran off to the elevator so she could go to her room and be alone. She needed to elaborate on what just happened, and finally figure out what these emotions meant that she always had around Dick.

In the midst of her raging thoughts, Jasmine failed to notice that she hadn't even shied away from the lighter when it was right beside her cheek. In fact, she hadn't even registered its heat, or reacted to it in fear.