I'm sorry I haven't updated in over a year. Between motherhood and an unfortunate accident with my laptop… finally got a new computer and can find a little time to write. God knows if anyone is still out there but if you are, thanks for reading.

Chapter 25

There was a steady beep. A plip of an IV drip. It was hazy, muffled. Felt like her head was full of cotton but her limbs were lead. A gasping breath burned her dry throat, even the groan took far too much effort to get out. There was a shifting to her right and a hand rested on her own, causing her fingers to twitch. Her breathing quickens and a tear squeezes to the corner of her eye. 'Jason…!'

"It's alright.."

A sob broke past her lips, more tears pulling to the surface as her heart sank. That voice was too deep, too gruff. That was not Jason. The hand tightened on her own, his body leaning in to check the medical equipment she knew were around her. It took far to long to get her eyes to obey her, opening heavy lidded and hazy. She looked into his face, he met her eyes straight on, evaluating, studying.. but there was something else there. 'Bruce..'

"Calm down." He said calmly. It was odd hearing his voice this soft. "You've been out for a while. When I found you you had a serious infection, high fever..." He trailed off.

She opened her mouth, croaking out a sound, coughing as her throat closed. He made to check over her but she shook her head. Numbly she reached with her left hand, crawling it sluggishly over her stomach. She signaled with her eyes, trying to draw his attention down, which he followed. She shook in the moment of silence before Bruce nodded. He looked back to her face though it was hard to see through the burn of the tears.

"The baby seems to be fine." he said softly, almost as though it was hard to say. "Vitals are fine." He reassured with another nod. She closed her eyes, a relieved sob breaking out. He reached his free hand out to brush the bangs from her face. "Rest. I'll be here when you wake."

The hand brushed through her hair, rubbing her scalp softly. It was cool against her skin, brushing the sweat the had broken across her forehead away. Try as she might, her eyes didn't want to reopen. Her headed nodded and the dark enveloped her.

Next she woke her body wasn't as heavy, her head not as fuzzy and eyelids not as heavy. She still woke to the machinery beeping, but it was much easier to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. This was no hospital, and certainly not the cave. The bed was far to soft, the room far to warming and inviting. The tall ceiling, large windows. It was the manor. It was a room in the manor made into a makeshift med bay. She rolled her eyes to the right of her bed to the scrunched figure in the armchair a few feet from the bed. His clothes are crumpled, days old. His cheek is propped on his fist, elbow on the padded arm. There's dark circle under his eyes, darker than the usual she remembers. In fact everything seemed a bit off. She could see little hairs of gray at his temple, lines on his face she didn't remember.

With a grunt she pushed herself up, propping herself against the headboard. Immediately he was alert to her, his eyes snapping to attention and moving to the bed in silence. He paused when when she held out her hand in a stopping motion. She took a few breaths, forcing away the aches in her back, neck and chest. "How.." She started, clearing her throat when the dryness and scratchiness became irritating. She looked up when a glass of water was held out to her, taking it slowly and carefully, still weary of her own strength. She took a sip, reveling in the cooling moisture in her dry throat. "How long was I out?" She questioned, voice rough and raspy.

"A week."

She nodded, staring down into the glass. "Jason?" There was no answer, just sillence. From the corner of her eye she saw the slightest shake of his head. "I've got to go search for him" She said, pulling the lines from her chest.

"You're in no condition to-"

"I've got to find him." She said sternly, reaching for the Iv in her arm when Bruce placed his hand over it to stop her. She turned glaring eyes on him. "Let go" she growled, more bluff than anything. She knew she couldn't win against him in her state, even with his apparent lack of sleep but she wasn't going to let him win.

"You've got to stop this!" He nearly yelled. "He's not coming back." He said softer but just as sternly. He had to dodge to the side as the glass flew past his head and shattered against the wall behind him

"HE'S NOT DEAD!" She screams, pulling at his grasp on her weakly. "He's not.. He can't be.." She fought as he pulled her in, grabbing her flailing arms. She fought until something snapped inside her and she couldn't fight anymore, falling into his chest, clawing at his shirt and soaking the front. He held her, cradling her head to his chest, squeezing her tight through the wretched sob and wails till they died to hiccups and silent tears. He held her in the silence that followed till the tears dried on his shirt. She pulled away, arms wrapped about herself.

"How long are you going to keep me here.." She whispered.

"You're free to go." He said quietly, pulling back a bit himself. "You're free to stay." He followed. "I've never meant to keep you against your will. Not from the day you were born, not when I brought you here, not when you put on the mask." She turned dark, suspicious eyes on him where she was curled into herself. "I just want you to think of.. your child.." It was hard for him to get those words out, to fully accept that this situation was reality, that there was a child inside her. "You nearly died in that rotting hovel. You're in no condition to head back to that and if you do neither of you may live. No matter what you may think I'd never want that to happen."

"You're not taking my baby." She growled out weakly.

"Both of you will be free to leave any time of your choosing. I will help in any way I can. Whatever you want."

"And what do you want in return?"

"The safety of you and your unborn child." His grandchild… But he pushed those thoughts aside for now.

Danielle thought for a few moments, pulling back into herself. She could still feel the effects of her illness. She was out for a WEEK! She had foggy images, hallucinations of fever, stumbling memories. Jason hadn't come back.. Where was she to go now? Her hand curled over the slight bulge of her abdomen, barely a little more than layer of fat over her formerly chiseled abdomen. "Until the child's born..." She said, not looking up into his face, voice cold and distant. "Then we're both out. And you will never see us again."

A stab to his heart at her words that he hid with nothing more than going a bit more rigid, his eyes closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, letting it out in a sigh. "Agreed."