.29

Carlisle didn't want to be here. Jason didn't want to be here. And yet here they were. Dressed appropriately, with Ava, at the stupid Wayne Christmas fundraiser. The only redeemable thing about the whole thing was that Bruce started the night by declaring Jason alive to the world.

Which might have not been a good thing in Jason's eyes, but Carlisle was rather happy with the development. It showed growth on Bruce's part, forgiveness and acceptance. She was proud of the man. A little heads up next time would have been nice, but baby steps.

She watched as Jason was pulled into a conversation between a man she knew to be Lucius Fox the head of Wayne's RD department and commissioner James Gordon. Both men were acting happy to see Jason. Which was also a plus. Carlisle had tried to tell him that there were people who did in fact miss him. Once assured that nothing was going to happen to her love she turned her attention to where Ava had run off too.

Damian was here, so she's not surprised to find her daughter next to the youngest Wayne boy a hand clutched into the fabric of his pants. Out of all of Jason's siblings Ava liked Damian the best, followed by Cassandra and Tim. She didn't know why it was those three and not say Richard since he had a natural affinity with children. All she knew was that if any of the aforementioned were around if Ava had permission she would be with them. Especially if it was Damian.

Jason thought it was hysterical.

When Damian felt her eyes on them he nudged Ava lightly. She looked up and waved over at her mother. Carlisle smiled at them both, mouthing a question at the boy who just smirks at her. Well at least she wouldn't have to worry about her daughter to much.

"It's nice to see Jason smile again." Carlisle does her best not to show her surprise. She didn't like it when someone was able to sneak up on her. Instead she turns a charming, definitely fake, but charming smile to them. If he noticed well he didn't say anything about it.

"I don't think we've met." She states eying the man who was obviously a reporter warily. Carlisle didn't trust reporters, she'll amend that statement a little. It was their intentions she didn't trust. There is a double meaning in her words, how do you know Jason?, the man just offers her a pleasant smile. He holds out a hand.

"Clark Kent, I'ma friend of Bruce's." Carlisle eyes his hand before accepting it cautiously. There were lots of friends of Bruce here. Not all of them were friends.

"Carlisle Tollar, nice to make yer acquaintance Mr. Kent." She responds civilly. Still wary, but doing her best to remain in control. Carlisle's track record at these sort of things was bad as is. Perhaps she was too paranoid.

"Clark stop mackin on my girl." It was as if Jason had sensed her discomfort, like he had a special power for it and appeared right behind her. His hand ghosted over the small of her back. The man just grins.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Jason rolls his eyes at the statement, eying the superhero intently. Trying to detect any level of dishonesty or malicious intent in the man's actions. Coming up completely short.

"Where's Ava?" He turns his attention to Carlisle who smiles before making a gesture to the left. Just over her shoulder but still in seeing range is their daughter, all but attached to Damian's leg. Jason just smirked.

"We should probably relieve the little brat of babysitting duty." He mutters, Carlisle snorted at the thought. It was highly unlikely. Ava loved Damian. At the interested look Clark gave them, Jason turned his grin to the alien. Offering absolutely no explanation.

Typical Jason.

"I need to go make face for another twenty minutes or so, but then we can leave." She says, kisses Jason's cheek then offers a small apology to Clark and excuses herself. Taking a step in the direction of where Tim was talking some Gotham socialite.

There were reasons as to why she'd originally declared it a bad idea. Justified paranoia. Carlisle knew innately that nothing good ever came of these sort of parties. It's why she usually refused. She'd hoped that this one would have been different. She prayed that it wouldn't end disastrously like all the other. For crying out loud this was a Wayne event. Bruce Wayne was more paranoid than most people. And for the first part of the night everything had been fine.

Up until the moment she decided that they should go home. Ava was getting sleepy, and both herself and Jason were getting anxious. Then shit hit the fan, in the comotion she got separated from Jason and their daughter. She prayed they were somewhere safe.

Carlisle bit her lip, making a note of all the exits and all the hostages. Hostages who were on a different side of the room. Her hands were fisted around a nice jacket that she had applying pressure to gaping cut on Timothy's side.

It's only four men, they shouldn't have been able to cause such a fuss. Four men with guns in a room with mostly unarmed civilians. Some people were able to get away before they gained full control of the crowd. Like Jason, their daughter, Bruce, and Damian. Carlisle hoped they regained the upper hand soon. Because she didn't know how much more blood Tim could lose before passing out, or how much longer she'd wait before having to do something. They'd separated the Wayne CEO and the Tollar CEO from the other socialites early on, obviously they knew who they were.

"I thought I told you bitch to get away from him." One of the thugs is behind them, he kicks her away from Tim. She hisses dangerously at him.

"And I thought I made myself very clear about what I thought of that asshole." No one could say that Carlisle Tollar wasn't brave. Tim whimpered quietly watching through half opened eyes unable to do anything.

"You're gonna pay for that bitch." The thug goes to strike her again, but this time in a show of grace that Tim didn't know the woman to have ducked under the man's swinging limbs. She's back at his side working quickly to get him to apply pressure to spot. Don't let up, the order clear in her eyes. Tim had always been good at following orders.

She hadn't wanted it to come to this. But at the end of the day she was still a combat medic and someone was threatening her patient. Carlisle stood from the third Wayne boy's side coming face to face with the barrel of a gun.

It should have terrified her but the truth of the matter was she really needed a weapon. She'd rather not have to use the gun strapped to her upper thigh. Anyone who thought she'd be unarmed at any event held by high society was an idiot. There was just too many times that she'd been hurt at one of these things to not have a weapon. It was only paranoia if it wasn't justified.

"I'll take that." In seconds she'd disarmed him and turned the gun on him. Now gaining the attention of two of the other thugs.

"Shoot her!" Idiot number one yells. Carlisle just smirks as the man lunges for her, she uses his shoulders as a springboard digging her heel between his shoulder blades as she flips over him. Maybe she was more than a simple combat medic, Tim thinks warily watching her. A sort of sluggishness starts settling over his mind, he was losing a lot of blood.

He could only think of a few woman who he knew who could fight like that and he was starting to see a resemblance. Tim watched as she used the thugs own size against him, proving that there was still a lot they didn't know about the woman Jason loved. Only assassin's fought like that.

Two shots ring out, each hitting their mark. They aren't kill shots but the thugs would be getting up. Carlisle has a gun in each of her hand, she looks peeved, there's a spit up the side of her dress that hadn't been there before and Tim realizes that one of the guns belonged to her. Bodies hit the floor as two more shots ring out.

Just like that it's over. She's at his side once more applying pressure to the wound. "They aren't dead, but they won't be getting up anytime soon." Carlisle tells him pressing the bloodstained coat further into his side.

"How?" He mutters half coherently. She cursed, Timothy was losing to much blood. Where were the police? The gunfire should have drawn them in.

Better yet where was his father? Certainly this was the type of thing that would warrant Batman's immediate attention.

"You stay with me and I'll tell you over dinner. Now eyes on my Timothy." She tries just as his eyelids drop.

XOXOX

Dun dun dun. Just leave you this nice little clift hanger here. Hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely, La'Rae

P.S. yes I know my fight scenes are for crap.