Three times Cassandra witnessed the friendship between Dick and Donna without Donna even being there. And the one time she witnessed it.
1) Dinner Dash
Cassandra would admit, to her disappointment, she and Dick don't get the chance to spend much time one on one. It wasn't often their path's cross enough for them to spend time just the two of them. She loves her brother; she loves all her brother's. They just live two different lives.
It was one rare opportunity she got the chance to swing through Bludhaven. Cass reached out to Dick earlier that day, asking if they can have a movie night. He agreed readily – as she knew he would.
She arrived at his apartment, to find it empty. There was a not waiting on the counter on the back of a receipt from Dick, stating he ran out to grab food because he didn't have much in the house. He was going to grab her usual order from the Indian place down the street and a carton of mint chocolate chip ice-cream to follow.
They have only had the opportunity to do this a handful of times, but Dick always knew what to get.
To fill the time, Cass decided to tidy up around his apartment as a thank you. For all the skills Dick possessed he wasn't the cleanest person. Usually putting household chores low on his ever-growing list of priorities.
Cass poked at some take out containers left out in the kitchen. She started tossing anything empty in the trash. Picking through the counters, then to the fridge for anything that looked expired. Through the process she realized there was a handful of boxes with notes penned across the covers.
On an unlabeled foam container in loopy handwriting was an "Eat all the broccoli" in a thick black marker. Signed with a "Love, Don".
Another, from Dick's favorite Chinese place, "You better eat all of this," this time in a blue sharpie, the handwriting tilted, and sharp. It ended with a hastily drawn heart and the letter D.
Cass found a "Go to bed," scribbled onto a pizza box, initialed with DT.
A "Love you, Wonder Twin" was unsigned in small, neat writing on a cardboard box from a place Cass never heard of.
She found a receipt on the counter, the logo from Dinner Dash on the top for a restaurant. It was named something in Greek with a Bludhaven address. It listed a handful of items purchased as a gift by someone named Donna Troy over a week ago. It instructed the restaurant to include the message "I'm coming to visit on Saturday. Don't forget to pick up cookie dough and milk."
A sound came from the front door, the soft jingle keys and Dick working to get his door open. Cass put the paper on the fridge with a plastic frog magnet. Tying the trash bag she was filling closed, she went to greet Dick at the door with a smile.
"Hey Cass," Dick greeted with a warm smile. His eyes drifted to the bag in her hand, "You didn't have to do that."
"Help," Cass signed, offering her own smile.
"Put it by the door, I'll take it down later." Dick advised, waving Cass back into the kitchen. Cass made a mental note to take care of it before her departure. She followed after him, excited the relaxed night ahead.
2) Tattletale
It wasn't often that Cassandra was able to sneak up on Dick. Of her family, he was – surprisingly – the most spatially aware. He has caught her hiding in the shadows with a wink one to many times to be a coincidence. She's seen him jerk awake from a nap on his couch, before she could take a full step into the room.
The funny thing, she realized, is none of the others notice. The ever so subtle tense of his shoulders the moment before Alfred came around the corner. The almost hyper awareness of his surroundings, that she has witnessed save their lives from more than one ambush. She watches him, she watches all of them. He isn't obvious about it, Cass would sometimes catch him eyeing something off in the distance during patrol. Dick would catch her gaze and send her a wink. He would slip away, take care of whatever he saw and appear again before anyone else noticed.
Cass was worried when she was able to sneak up on him, curled into a chair in the den outside the cave entrance. His legs were tossed over an arm, head on the other, curled into a half ball.
His phone was clutched in a hand. It started to buzz before she could get to close. Dick moved, with sluggish arms, answering and tucking it to his ear without opening his eyes.
"Grayson."
He paused, then let out a low chuckle, a small smile on his otherwise exhausted face. "Hello to you too Donna."
The person on the other end of the phone – Donna - talked for a little bit, occasionally Dick would make some sound of agreement. "Going to have to be two day's out," He said, "Have patrol tonight, then agreed to help Jay with a drug bust tomorrow."
Cass could hear the voice on the line pick up and Dick started frown, exhaustion dragging his smile away. "Don," he tried to interrupt. "Don. Donna." Dick sighed, "It's fine. No. No. I just said I was… I know you… I don't need… don't." The call disconnected, and Dick jerked up. He started fiddling with his phone.
From down the hall, they could hear the classical music of Alfred's cell phone ringing.
Dick swore under his breath, darted out of the chair. He darted past Cassandra with a quick, "Hey, Cass."
She followed after him, a mix of concerned and curious. The music cut, and she could pick up the light murmur of Alfred talking.
Dick slid into the kitchen, Cass stopped short, catching herself on the doorway.
"Alfie, she is-" Dick started, cutting off when Alfred raised a finger to indicate silence.
"I see what you mean Miss Troy." He said, watching Dick with a critical eye. "I wouldn't go that far, but I do believe a night in, is a good idea."
"I'm fi-" Dick tried again. Alfred interrupted with a look of disappointment. Dick huffed, slumping into the closest barstool. Cass could read defeat in the long sigh but was surprised by the relief in the drop of his shoulders.
"I'll make sure It's a full night," Alfred promised with a gentle smile. "I do my best." The man laughed, "I am honored. As you Miss Troy, and please do not be a stranger." Alfred held out the phone to Dick, waiting for him to take it before turning towards the fridge to give Dick a least a little privacy.
"You're mean," Dick greeted, pillowing his head in his elbow, holding the phone to his ear with the other hand.
Alfred beckoned Cass into the room, he signed the word cookie to which she nodded. They pulled out what was needed, Alfred from the fridge and Cass wondering into the pantry. She hesitated after returning with the dry goods. Alfred caught the twitch of her hands.
He gave her a patient smile, "D, Okay?" She signed, glancing over her shoulder to where Dick was still focused on the phone.
"Yes," Alfred whispered, voice comforting. "Just working himself too hard."
"Who he talking to?" she asked, in her own soft voice.
"Donna Troy," Dick said, causing both to turn around. He was sitting up, phone screen black, on the counter. "My best friend and a tattletale."
"She cares." Alfred advised.
Dick laughed, face bright for a moment. "She's too good for me."
Alfred shook his head, looking fond. "I do believe she would disagree."
3) I'll Come Running
Cass and Dick volunteered to help Tim with a theft case. They met up at the clock tower, after patrol to follow up with Barbara about some footage and a facial recognition. Cass was enjoying the relaxed atmosphere when Dick's phone buzzed. He ignored it, but none of them could when it went off a few more times, bringing the conversation to a stall.
Dick glances at it, frowning at a string of text messages. He muttered about making a call and excused himself to the otherside of the room. They watched him go, with various looks of concern. Even with the distance, bits and pieces drifted over.
"What's wrong?" Dick asked, he stood near the window gazing out over the city. "Don… Don… Never too busy for you."
From next to Cass, Barbara let out a huff, jabbing at her keyboard with a little too much aggression. She mumbled under her breath about priorities and being busy, she trailed off growing unkind. Cass was confused at the jealousy she could see in the former batgirl. She turned to Tim, who just rolled his eyes at the red head, and focused on his own laptop. Tim wasn't suppressed, if anything he was annoyed at Barbara's reaction.
"Are you sure?" Dick asked, voice drifting, "I can be there in ten." Dick kicked at the ground, boots making a scuffing noise against the metal flooring. His body grew tense with concern. "Okay… I understand, you know I do. Tomorrow?" Dick paused, then let out a light laugh, "Usual place or that pancake place?" Dick listened, nodding along. "Yeah… Love you too, Wonder Girl."
Dick ends the call, taking a moment to roll his shoulders and stretch out his tense muscles. Cass could see him trying to work away the concern. The tight coil of his muscles, still held in his shoulders when he came back.
"Sorry," He said, not offering an explanation.
"Donna, okay?" Tim asked, closing his laptop halfway to show Dick he was there to listen. Dick's smile was bright and reassuring, edging towards thankful.
"Are you going to be leaving?" Barbara asked, before Dick could answer the first question.
Dick's shoulders rose slightly and curled in on himself just a little bit – defensive, Cass noted. The light from his smile dimmed, the edges turning fake. "If she needed me, then yes." He said, voice level and firm. "She's my best friend. If she asked for my help, I would go running. It's the same I would do for any of you." Dick made sure to make eye contact with Tim, then Cass. She could feel the promise. Barbara huffed, refusing to turn away from her work.
Cass frowned at the older woman's back, confused at the jealousy hanging around her neck. Dick took it in stride, sitting next to Tim to share his computer. Tim flashed an apologetic smile. Dick ruffled the younger man's hair, she caught Dick's eye. He beckoned her over, pulling her into the seat on his other side, tucking her under his arm. He poked a finger into Tim's side, indicating for him to start talking again.
The conversation started picking up again, trickling slowly back to the topic on hand.
1) Your Burdens are Mine and I will Burn for You
Cass knew of Donna Troy long before she ever met Donna Troy. She observed the relationship between Dick and Donna for months before they ever met. She knew they were protective of one another. They were siblings long before any of the other bat-kids came into the picture. They created a legacy together, along with Roy, Wally, and Garth. The Titans paved a way for the rest of them as child heroes. She knew the duo had a special relationship, one of mutual trust and love.
Donna was the former partner of Wonder Woman, a fighter and goddess in her own right.
For everything she has learned, nothing could prepare her for Donna Troy.
Nightwing was quieter than usual, Robin sticking closer than normal. He didn't have much to say during the briefing, responding through body language rather than words. Even Jason kept his distance. The one insult he threw towards Dick, usually taken as banter, was met with a shrug. Damian hissed like a feral cat, until they all got the point to leave him alone.
Cass could see the sadness pouring from her oldest brother. His body is heavy with mourning and aching with loss. She didn't know how to help, words were always hard. The weight was heavy on her tongue and stalling her hands.
Bruce pulled him aside before they left, whispering close to his ear, radiating concern. They talked for a few moments, eventually Dick nodded and pulled away to finish getting ready. Cass watched Bruce and Alfred share a look. Alfred nodded and disappeared upstairs.
The night was tense. Cass, Tim, Jason, and Damian circled Dick, gravitating in to offer support, then drifting back again when they realized they didn't know how. Dick for his part, though quiet, was almost viciously efficient. There were moments when Cass would look at him and see a void in place of the usual light. The raid went well, the manufacturing ring shut down, and Bruce had his next lead for another site. The whole night ran with an uncomfortable efficiency and an ever-growing tension.
They returned to the cave, Dick retreated to the changing rooms. Damian followed at his heels.
"What's wrong with him?" Jason hissed, fists clenched tight. He was concerned, hiding behind his anger.
"I don't know," Bruce admitted, face pained.
Tim had a faraway look, "It's not the anniversary." He muttered to himself, the 'of his parents death' remained unsaid.
"Neither of their birthdays or their anniversary." Bruce added, ignoring the surprised looks from Tim and Jason.
Across the cave, the elevator arrived, and Alfred escorted a woman with dark and wild hair forward. Cass looked to her brother's and father figure, they all reacted as if they knew this woman. Bruce watched her in relief, Jason and Tim seemed confused with her presence. Alfred nodded at them and disappeared back upstairs.
"What are you doing here?" Jason asked, the question lacking any heat, only confusion.
"Alfred called," The woman said. There was a pause, but the woman didn't add anything more. "Where is he?" She asked instead.
"He and Damian are in the changing room." Tim advised. The woman nodded, turning on her heel head towards that direction.
"Donna," Bruce said before she could take a step away. His voice was low and edged towards dangerous. She turned back around, facing off with the man with no fear. "You know what's wrong." He said with certainty.
This was Donna Troy, Cass realized. Dick's best friend. She didn't need to answer, they all knew Bruce was right. This woman knew what was wrong with her brother, but she would never betray Dick's trust.
Cass saw the flash of fury through the woman, a curl of her lips and clench of her fist. Donna burned with a protective love, that Cass would feel. The anger wasn't directed at them, Cass realized. It for whatever had hurt Dick.
Cass suddenly itched for a fight. She wanted to follow Donna into battle, to destroy whatever is causing Dick this kind of pain.
A soft voice drifted through the fog, "Don?" Dick called, he sounded confused.
They all turned to him, Cass ached again with the pain radiating from Dick. Later she will be relieved the blank void was gone. For now, she mourned with him.
Donna took off in a running leap, wrapping Dick tight to her chest, holding his head to her shoulder. She was muttering something to him, the words in a language Cass didn't understand. But she could still understand what was happening. The exchange didn't last very long. Dick first reluctant to hug back but ended up with his hands clutched in the back of her coat and releasing just as quickly. For the one brief moment Dick broke sending, a wave through the cave. They each turned away moments before Dick stepped back. His face was dry, and he was coiled tight to keep himself together.
"Alfred is making his hot chocolate." Donna whispered, "go grab us some." Dick took the instruction like a lifeline, heading to the elevator without even saying goodbye.
Damian made to follow but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. She whispered to him, somehow defusing his hot anger. Damian simmered out, reluctantly agreeing to whatever she said. Donna ran a hand through his hair, then followed the path upstairs.
Later that night or earlier that morning depending on how you look at it, Cass caught sight of the two curled together in the living room couch. Dick had dried tears on his face, his head on Donna's stomach. Donna was curled partially around them, protective. The TV flickered silently, on an old cartoon set to mute. It took Cass a second to realize Donna was looking back at her.
Neither woman said anything. The silence was broken by a whimper. Dick twitched in his sleep, "No," he whimpered. "I don't want… Don't touch me."
Donna ran a hand through his hair, whispering reassuring things into his ear, calming him down.
A broken and desperate "please" sent Cass fleeing. Her heart pounding in her ears. The terror in his voice with the protective nature from Donna, left her breathless. The pieces coming together in her mind, leaving Cass with a cold fury. She didn't get much sleep.
Donna and Dick were gone in the morning, probably before the sun came up. Alfred reassured them at breakfast, advising Dick would be unavailable for a few days. Damian wasn't worried meaning he probably knew beforehand.
Cass felt relieved, she didn't know the details. She didn't want to know, the broken cry from her oldest brother still brings an ache to her chest.
Jason opened his mouth to complain, and Cass shut him up with a flying piece of toast and a sharp look. Donna's protective fire burned in Cass' memory.