part3

"We will arrive in Anchorage in ten hours," Ubu said.
"Very well, call ahead and have my people make all the preparations," Ra's said, sending Ubu off, "I suppose you two have some questions."
"You can say that again," Nightwing snarked, "Why don't we start with from the beginning. How do you know Alex?"
"Alexandra is my granddaughter. She is the only child of my beloved son, Hisham."
"You can be sure of that?" the Batman asked.
"If I was not, I would not have gone to so much trouble to rescue her. After the shooting-"
"The shooting? The one at the docks with her father?" Nightwing interrupted.
"Yes, her adopted father. Peter Arkham is vile monster and if I wasn't preoccupied with Alexandra's recovery, I would have seen to his destruction myself."
"So you found her after she was shot," Batman prodded, standing up in the illustrious private jet.
"Yes, she had fallen into the water. The current was strong and she was already unconscious and losing blood quickly. If it had not been for me-"
"What were you doing there in the first place?" Nightwing asked, "You didn't just happen to be in the neighborhood?"
"She is my child of my only son, my flesh and blood," Ra's said dramatically, "Understand that I am always aware of her actions."
That's a scary thought, Nightwing bemused, but decided to keep it to himself.
"When I realized the extent of her injuries, I took it upon myself to take care for her life."

"The Lazarus treatment was successful, Master," Dr. Weltmann said.
"Excellent, how long will it take for her recovery?"
"A few days, but you must understand that the Lazarus Pit is usually used for such cases. We couldn't just-"
"What are you saying Dr. Weltmann?" Ra's asked sternly.
"We couldn't just fully immerse her in the Pit, we had to expose her to it in a much smaller dose for a shorter amount of time. She will recover in a few days but not fully, she will need another treatment in about six months before she will be fully healed."
"I see, then we will just have to make sure that she does then."
"Excuse me master, she's waking up," an attendant said.
"Can I see her?" Ra's asked the doctor.
"Of course, just briefly though, she's been through quite an ordeal."
Ra's thanked the doctor silently and cautiously opened the door. It was the first time he had so close to his granddaughter in a long time. Granted, the last time, he saw her, she was merely a child. Now she was an adult but she still needed someone to take care of her protect her from the world that had nearly destroyed her. He would take up that role and treat her the way he could never treat his own son. Her movement interrupted his thoughts. She slowly opened her eyes, grimacing in pain that the light caused her. She looked around the room before focusing on him.
"Where am I?" she asked quietly.
"You're safe," he said patting her hand reassuringly.
She looked down at his hand on her and then looked around wildly in confusion, "What am I doing here?!" she asked trying to get up.
"No," he insisted, holding her down, "You're weak, do not try to exert your energy."
"What happened to me? I don't know, I don't remember…" she trailed off as her eyes grew wide with fright, "Who are you and who am I?"

"Amnesia?" Nightwing interrupted.
"Yes, when she came to, she did not remember anything about her life. She didn't even know her own name."
"Do you really expect us to believe this?" Nightwing asked.
"You should because it's true," Alexandra said, with her Nemesis mask off.
"Alexandra, you should be resting," Ra's said rising to her side at once.
"No I'm fine," she said, holding up her hand to stop him.
"That may be so, for now," Ra's insisted, "You must save your strength."
"What do you want to know?" she asked, turning to Batman and Nightwing, ignoring Ra's pleas.
"What really happened."
"Everything he told you is true," Alexandra said, "He did save my life and when I regained consciousness, I didn't remember anything. I guess the trauma after the shooting and the fall, maybe I didn't want to remember."

"Who are you?" Ra's repeated astonished, "You don't know?"
Alexandra shook her head fiercely, "I can't…it all doesn't make any sense. I feel like there something I should know but it's not there. It's all hazy and muddled," she dug her fingers in her hair.
"Calm down, Alexandra," Ra's said, "This is merely fatigue. Get some rest and your mind will be much clearer."
"Is that my name?" she asked, looking up at him, "Alexandra?"
"Get some rest," he said softly, "A hour of sleep will make a world of difference."
As she lay back on the bed, Ra's motioned for the doctor and went outside her room.
"What happened to her?!" he growled threateningly at the doctor.
So I slept and woke up and still couldn't remember anything. Not that day, or the next or the next. And just as he promised, Ra's took care of me. He told me, truthfully, everything he knew about me. He told me that he was my grandfather my father was his son. I believed him because I couldn't contest it and because I had no reason not to trust him. After a week, I had recovered and he took me to his palace in Turkey, and then the one in India, Japan, Australia, Egypt and Morocco. I definitely got the impression that he was rich. By that time, a few months had passed and I was comfortably settled into my new life.
"You like Morocco best of all," Alexandra stated as a fact rather than a question.
"I do?" Ra's asked, moving his knight to her pawn, "How can you be so sure? Check."
She shrugged, "I don't know. Watching you I suppose. Your mannerisms, you're more comfortable here than anywhere else."
"It must be your company that pleases me, Granddaughter."
"Ha! Flattery will get you nowhere," she smiled, moving her king out of danger, "What is it about Morocco?" she asked after a pause.
"Excuse me?" he asked, concentrating on his next move.
"What did you like so much about Morocco?" she asked again, watching as he made his next move deftly, "The sights, the weather, the food, the high camel-to-people ratio?"
"I was born here, this is my home," he said.
"Really? You never told me that," she said, placing her rook dangerously close to his king, "Check."
"Ah, I see," Ra's said smiling, "So this was all a ploy to distract my attention."
"I am insulted," she said laughing, "I merely want to know about my grandfather who has told me so much about myself but nothing about his own life."
"What would you like to know?" he said positioning his queen for the kill.
"Hmmm, which side did I get my excellent chess skills from," she said, moving her bishop, "My father's or my mother's. Checkmate!"
"Well so it seems," he said amused, "Shall we play again?"
"Why not," she said, "I could go for whipping your butt one more time," she joked as she reset the chessboard.
Her actions became slower and more drawn out with each piece she put back in its place.
"So…um…I was just wondering…I mean…uh…I partly wasn't joking when I asked that question. Um…I know you said that my father died when I was a baby and I hardly knew my mother but…"
"You want to know about your family," he finished.
"Well no, I mean, you are my family. I know that, throughout these months you have been my family. You're the only one I truly trust with my life. I mean you saved my life. It's just that-"
"It isn't enough."
"No, I just want more. I want to know more," she sighed, "My father. He was your son. But yet you never talk about him, why?"
Ra's looked at her silently and then rose from his chair, she sat up in her reclining couch.
"I'm sorry," she said immediately, "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"No," he protested, "You have every right to. He was your father."
"And your son."
"Yes. Unfortunately, we never had the kind of relationship I would have wanted to have."
"Why not?"
"He was stubborn and young. He opposed everything I did and made it a point to be my adversary. We shared different views on the world and society."
"Well I'm sure lots of fathers and sons share the same problems," Alexandra said rising and following him to the ledge of the balcony.
"Not all those sons hated their fathers."
Alexandra looked at him sadly, "Grandfather, he couldn't hate you. You were his father. Whatever disagreements you had in the past, no matter how bad, I just don't think he would have harbored any hatred towards you. I can tell you loved him."
"How?" he said looking at her.
"By the way you take care of me," she said with a reassuring smile.

"So you were one happy little family," Nightwing said.
"It would seem so," Alexandra said, her voice paling, "But…how many more hours until Anchorage?" she asked before falling down in pain.
Ra's caught her in his arms and he and Nightwing settled her on the couch.
"What's happening to her Al Ghul?" Batman demanded.
"Her condition is regressing much more quickly than I expected. Her internal organs are degenerating."
"We need to get to her to a Pit and fast!"