A/N : Author's announcement...I would like to inform you a few things before you guys read this chapter.

In case, you have read my one-shot fanfic ' Lullaby of Wayne' and I mentioned about not posting the story. I mean that I'm not gonna write a new story. I'm still writing this story and the other fiction of mine.

Due to my college life as third year college student, my life is so hectic and my homework like writing reports and doing presentation is too much for me uploading the new chapter frequently. So please forgive me * bow deeply in Japanese manner*

And, for this chapter. I decided to rewrite the part about Nightwing and Rou's conversation in the ward again since I felt that it was written in rush for the previous chapter.

And...that's all! Hope you enjoy this story and stick with me until the end.

AAA = Dream and Flashback

'AAA' = Character's thought

Sweet Bitter Memory and Silent Promise

Nightwing felt like he was floating in the air before his body was slowly landed on the soft ground. He was wondered about that until heard some voice. " Deege..." Nightwing tried to opened his eyes to see the owner of the voice but, his eyelids refused to open. And then, there was something caressed on his cheek slowly and scratched the tip of his nose gently, causing him to turned his head to his side. The person seemed to find it was funny because he heard the laughter from this mysterious person. " Come on, Deege...I don't wanna lose my score for Mathematics and Science again..."

Nightwing opened his eyes and saw the blurry line of familiar face, Rou's face. However, she looked younger than her present self who looked gloomy and unhappy. The younger Rou's face was filled with energetic, warm-hearted, and serene which made almost everyone like her. Almost except some snobbish rich kids who seemed to deny her from the way she never mingle, gossip or anything like that with them. Her eyes were dark brown ( unlike her yellow inhuman eyes in present time) reminded him of the dark mild chocolate that always sparkled with shyness and innocence.

Rou was better than them. She never judged people by their appearance. She chose to take her time, studying them and watching them as if she was looking for some rare valuable items. And that's how he liked her, she never just him from his background. She just talked with him, breaking the ice and offering him a friendship without any concealing motives.

Deege, the name that younger Rou called him was the nickname that she decided to give him after she learned about his new name 'Dick'. For her, this name sounded weird and she believed ' Deege' or ' D.G.' was the good one and he let her call after he gave up in convincing her to call him ' Dick'.

" Deege!" Nightwing blinked his eyes rapidly to bring himself out of the train of thought.

" Yeah?" Rou rolled her eyes playfully. " You should get up and help me find the solution of this problem before your dad kills me."

" For what? Having me sleep on your lap?" Rou's face went red very quickly from that words. Nightwing chuckled softly, causing Rou turned her face to her side and hoping to avoid this embarrassing moment. Then he felt her hands trying to lift his head up until he sat up.

" Well...since you're the first child that he ever had, he might do that and my father might do the same, too because he knew your dad very well when it's about woman things." Rou said, matter-of- factly behind her thick Math book. Nightwing smiled at her cuteness when she hid her face under those book not to let him see her face after that awkward moment. If she were one of those rich girls that tried to flirt him and threw herself at him, she wouldn't waste her breath to explain about why he shouldn't sleep on her lap.

"But I'm tired. Besides, it's..." He lifted his arm to see the time on his superman watch " It's 12:00 p.m. .I'm hungry for lunch. Let's take a break, okay?"

" Noooo! I wanna finish this one." Rou whined and gave him a puppy look. " Please pretty please..." Nightwing let out a small laugh before nodding to agree to help her. " Alright..I'll help you" Then, Nightwing was quiet and stared at her face as she was focusing on Mathematics.

" Rol." Rou looked up when he called her by the nickname. " Hm?" She looked at him questionably.

" Can you promise with me?" Nightwing's blue sapphire eyes looked at Rou's light brown eyes seriously. Rou looked at him worriedly but still nodded as the answer.

" Don't get yourself hurt...if you got any trouble, let me be there and save you. Promise?" Rou let out a small smile and patted his raven hair.

" I cannot keep that promise, Deege but I'll do my best for you..."

…...

As his mind slowly regained his conscious, first thing he felt was his head throbbing like a drum. His throat was sore and made it hard for him to speak. All he could do was moaning. His torso was hurt badly, could be bruise and some bones might be cracked but somehow it wasn't too bad. He could take a breath without feeling a sharp pain in his rib but the hardness of the bed made him feel uncomfortable.

" Nightwing !" Rou got up and held him to stop from moving to sit up before she helped him up gently.

" Where am I?" He mumbled and felt he voice was hoarse. Must be from lacking of water and got anesthetic.

" The ward in Mount. Justice. I made a portal from that place to here." She explained as she poured a glass of water. " We're afraid that your body might get more damaged if we tried to carry you to MissM's ship so I asked the permission from Batman to make it." Nightwing nodded before inspecting the room. The ward was decorated simply just like the normal one in usual hospital. The clock hung on wall showed it was 21:30 which was the time he should patrol at Bludheaven. He groaned, hoping the city could make through this night without him.

" By the way, you got deep bruise and caught a cold. Here, take them and get some sleep" Rou misunderstood about his groan and handed him the cup of medicine and a glass of water in another hand.

Nightwing pushed her hands off softly, refusing to take the pills. Rou felt annoyed at this before sent her threat.

" Eat it or I'll take this mask" Before she could reach to take his mask, Nightwing gripped her hand to stop her while holding his mask in place not to slip off.

" Not gonna happen" Nightwing snarled

" Why? Afraid that I would poison you and expose your true identity?" Rou asked. Her voice showed the hint of feeling hurt in it.

" Every hero deserves some secret and this is one of them.." Nightwing said as he checked if his mask still in the place before met the angry glare from Rou's unnatural, piercing, light blue eyes.

" Even keeping someone in the cave forever?" She said sarcastically before murmured about leaving from here in the first place. Nightwing let out a deep sigh. He had enough for her fuss and curse at him silently when he asked her to stay in here for safety.

After his discovering Lex Luther's relationship with her, he had to keep her here by Batman's order. Batman believed that Rou might be the mole even Nightwing disagree and showed him that she could be trusted. And of course since he was The batman, Batman thrusted his sense and ordered the league not to let her out from this cave and no one objected him including Black Canary who had just trained her in hand-to-hand combat three days ago.

Nightwing felt sorry for her but he didn't want to argue with his mentor about him for letting his feeling involve with the job. Besides, he agreed with Batman's idea that she should be kept in here until he could solve the case so he bear with it and tried to ignore this problem until now. Now, he reaches the limit.

" Fine, talk it out. Get off your chest." He said frankly. And, Rou did it as he thought. She told him about what the mastermind, Derek Simmons the guy who ordered his men to torture him threatened her about having her family as their hostage, about he being so jerk and use her as something to call for attention, and about how he should be with her when she need his help.

Nightwing took a deep breath as his anger was replaced by the guilt. Somehow, he expected that thing would turn out like this but he didn't know that it would break her down emotionally like this. Nightwing bit his lips, feeling uneasy when she was right about him never care about her. He thought she need the time to adjust with his team but he was wrong. All she need was someone who knew what she had been through. Someone who knew what happened at there and would be by her side to remind her, to hold her hand and say nightmare had been gone.

' Rou, I promised that I will protect you but I let you down. However, This time, I won't let you go again..' He vowed mentally. Nightwing got up from the bed slowly, trying not to let dizziness pull him down. He walked to Rou whose back faced to him. He tried to make up the words for apologizing to her but only one that he could mange to say from his dry lips. " I'm so sorry, Rou..."

Rou turned around to face him. She seemed to cool her head down but there were some faint sadness and anger on her face and eyes. " So am I.." she spoke softly.

" I'm so sorry for doing that but...I just...I just can't bear to see you suffer again! That's why I kept you in here and tried to find out the people who had to take the responsibility for this." Nightwing looked into Rou's yellow catlike eyes sadly as he felt his regret that had been kept in many years after he saw her leave from Gotham slowly poured out as he tried to explain his reasons. Rou's inhuman eyes looked at him widely and speechlessly.

Nightwing pressed his lips nervously, avoiding Rou's eyes when he realized that he shouldn't say that. He should say something else like the heroic speech that Superman always said when he saved people. Not something like this. But before he was lost into the train of thought, Nightwing felt something gently held his neck around and something soft pressed on his abs. Nightwing turned his head and found Rou hugged by using both of her arms wrapped around her neck carefully as her face leaned into his bare chest, making Nightwing felt shiver a little and ever more when he felt that the soft things were her chest. In his whole life since he lived with Bruce as an adopted son, he never felt awkward when he hugged or kissed women. To be honest, no one can make him feel like that except Barbara and Rou.

" I don't understand...why Nightwing...To the world, I'm just another stranger that no one care or look for me anymore and get caught up into this mess unknowingly." Rou looked up into his eyes with a few tears came out of her eyes. Nightwing felt the pang hit his heart. He wished he could tell her his identity. 'But what if she wasn't the same girl he knew?' his body was tensed with that thought as he felt the heartache. 'What if Batman was right?' He looked into Rou's eyes again but this time, he saw some else. Her determination. The same looks when she got up after she had been broke down emotionally and when she cheered him not to let anyone's word make him give up. Rou held his face gently so that he could see her clearly.

" I'm grateful that you always try to help me, Nightwing. You are the greatest and the nicest that I had ever met. You freed me from that nightmare. And I'm happy that you are cared about my feeling for what I had been through. But, at some point, I have to get on my feet with my very own strength . Also, I'm glad that I met you even I never know who you are under that mask." Rou whispered softly into his ears. Her voice was shaking a little with feeling of joy and sadness.

" Rou..." Rou raised her finger to cut him off. Nightwing frowned at her.

" Please...you had done a lot of things for a stranger like me..Let me take care of these things like a big girl." She looked at him with begging eyes before tiptoed to kiss him gently on his lips before parted sadly.

" Please get some rest and don't forget the pills.."

…...

A/N : I know that you guys give up on me but like I said, my life in college isn't easy and it demands a lot of my time before I could write the new chapter. English is my second language so it takes time to write each new chapter. So, bear with me...be patience with me...

A/N 2 : Can you guys give me the constructive comment for me. I really really need to know what I missed in making this story awesome and good enough.

A/N 3: No offense for Slavic people but in this fiction, Morana was adapted so that I could make this fiction more interesting. If you are minded about this, go to read another story or click [X] on the right corner of your internet browser. No flames ( the thing that every writers don't want to have.) PM to me anytime but it might take a day ( no flames on this one, too).

A/N 4 : R&R. Goodnight and enjoy your day!