Sorry for the space between updates. I'm hoping to get a few chapters out soon thanks to a surgery that has kept me from work giving me an extra 40 hrs to get life done in. Plus I was just at a block of how to enter into where I wanted to be. Enjoy.

Chapter 29

Everything would be hurting tomorrow, that's the first thought Tim had as the batmobile pulled in. And by 'tomorrow' of course he meant in about 4 hours when it would be time to get up and rush to get himself out to school again. With a groan he pushed himself from the vehicle, attempting to rub a kink from his neck. He froze at the echoing sound of strikes against wood and the padding of feet sliding against the training mats. With hardly a half glance in Batmans direction he made a direct line for the training and sparing area set off in the corner of the cave, Batman following with a much less hurried stride.

As the mats came into view he could see splinters of wood of several different training dummys, he believed he saw a few pieces of training staffs. Currently facing off against a wing chun dummy was the culprit, a visible sheen of sweat dripping from her face as she moved through the from with a bat worthy glare at the instrument. Since Dick had visited she had locked herself away. Apparently during patrol she had felt comfortable enough to let her into the cave. The cave, with all their data, weapons.. All things that she should not be allowed to access.

He shot forward to bring her under control, to remove her from the cave. As his hand came close she quickly deflected it, turning her form from the dummy to him as he feet slid to get into a stance against her new opponent. Through his shock at her seamless change of focus he was still able to counter, quickly falling into the practiced stances and forms against her. They met, deflected, gripped and broke holds over and over. Arms blurred, circling each other in a well known dance. It was his weariness on being too aggressive, still having his gear on going against her in nothing but a t shirt that would cause him to allow her the opening to get a hard strike to his chest. With his armor he was certain she felt it more than he did but it was enough to push him back.

With a growl he set his shoulder, preparing to face off again when he felt Bruces hand sit heavy on his shoulder. He looked back to his mentor who shook his head. "You can't mean to let her stay here!" There was no response. He spun on the older man. "You've got to be kidding!"

"She's had access to the cave this whole time. If she was trying to sabotage she's already had plenty of time to set it up." Tims shoulders went from defensive to a rigid square when it dawned on his that Bruce had known before arriving that she had already entered the cave. Of course he did. With a quick glance over his shoulder towards Dani he turned, storming off to discard his uniform and head upstairs.. If she was going to blow up the cave he wasn't going to stick around for it.

Father and daughter stared each other down as Tim moved through the cave. Bruce took in her heavy breathing, the sweat dripping into small pools at her feet, slicking the mats. He hadn't seen her since Dicks visit, she hadn't spoken a word to anyone, not even Alfred. The anger rolling off her was tangible. It didn't seem unlikely for one of them to find an outlet in training. When he'd gotten the notice of her in the cave he was simply glad she hadn't headed to the streets. He could not overlook her trying to head out again. "You should rest." He finally said after a long heavy silence. She didn't flinch, her laser focuus. She never broke eye contact, didn't move save for her breathing. There was another long silence filled with tension. Much like Jason before her, there would be no talking her down. In silence he stepped away with calculated steps. Before long the sound of training once again filled the cave, continuing long past when he finally moved up the stairs himself. He'd allow her to tire herself out for several hours, return in the morning. He'd regret his choice.

Hours later he would find her lay out on the mats after entering the cave. Once he realized what he was seeing his heart dropped into his stomach. "Dani!" He called as he ran to her side. She'd fallen, sprawled on her side He gently rolled her to her back, propped on his legs. She was limp, cold and pale. Her pulse was weak but steady and though shallow he could see and feel her breathing. Falling from the corner of her mouth in a drying, cracking mess was a trail of vomit, a small pile laying in front of him on the mats. His eyes slid to her abdomen, still barely a bump hidden under some loose clothing. He closed his eyes, breathing out. Carefully he picked her up bridal style, carefully cradling her head against him as he brought her up the stairs. His next move could be costly but when has he ever shyed away from risk.

'This is really getting old.' She thought as she slowly swam to the surface of consciousness. The burn of the IV, the itch of the tape, the weight of the leads attached to her chest. But the more that came to her the more she began to panic. There was too much wrong. The light behind her closed eyelids was too bright for the cave, the bed wasn't the right grade. (with how often it was needed, and money being no obstacle, Bruce always got the best.) There was no sound from the bats above. It definitely wasn't any room in the manor. Instincts pushed her to an internal panic. Training kept her eyes shut, breathing as steady as she could. 'Don't let on you're awake don't let them know.' There was a mantra in her mind as she brought to mind years of training as she slowed all functions despite the situation. Mind racing, there was a tap, tap, tap in the peripheral of her consciousness. Her mind froze in an instant. Tap, tap, tap. Repetitive pattern. Tap, tap, tap against her hand. Her hand, covered gently by another. Code. Morse code. Tapped so softly the finger above her barely moved.

'F-i-n-e. H-o-s-p-i-t-a-l.' Once it was tapped out again her stomach dropped out, her hand pulling to head for her abdomen but was held firmly down. Her left eye cracked open to glance sideways at Bruce sitting in a chair by the hospital bed. She tried to pull again but was held back. Her breath began to pick up again despite the oxygen in her nose, heart beat increasing. She missed the first few attempts as her brain began to block it out. '_B-y. O-K. B-a-b-y. O-' A low sound somewhere between a whine and sob broke from her chapped lips as a tear fell. It took a moment to long to bring her breathing back under control. Everything felt stiff. It took a few experimental tried before she could get her fingers to work with enough control to tap back gently against his palm.

'H-o-w.'

She was met with silence. He made no movement to answer back verbally or otherwise. Her panic and relieve was quickly giving way to anger as she glared at him sideways, but he never flinched.

'H-O-W.' She demanded with stronger, more determined taps. She continued her fierce gaze. How was she at the hospital? How would he hide who he was? He was clearly not in any disguise. Who was she? With a rage building in her chest, threatening to burst open in flames she mouthed silently though with demand. 'How?'

Finally, Tap. Tap, tap….

'R-u-n-a-w-a-y.'