Epilogue.
Barbara
fiddled nervously with the bunch of flowers she gripped in her hand on the lift
that would take her to Jenny's room.
Today
was the first time she had seen Jenny since the terrible night with Mr Freeze
and she was terrified that her friend would not recover from his cruel
treatment of her.
A
warm hand wrapped around her fingers and Dick Grayson brought them to his lips,
kissing them softly, "You're going to strangle those roses Babs." He said
gently, smiling at her nervous face, "Jenny will never forgive you - they cost
me a fortune!"
Barbara
returned his smile and leant her head against his shoulder briefly. She idly
wished that he could have been there at all her previous visits to the
hospital, he had a way of making her feel as though nothing could harm her.
"I
hope she's OK." She breathed.
Dick
squeezed her hand, "Jenny's tough and I'm sure the knowledge that she was right
about us will brighten her day."
Barbara
gave a soft laugh and tilted her head back to look into his bright blue eyes,
"Technically she wasn't right. I didn't fall in love with Dick I fell in love
with Robin."
Dick
shrugged, grinning broadly, "I would have won you over eventually, even in my
civilian form. I'm just too irresistible."
Barbara
rolled her eyes, "This is going to be the longest lift ride I've ever taken."
Dick
laughed, dropping his head to kiss her lips softly, "That has its advantages
also."
Abruptly
the lift pulled up and Dick sighed, "Ready?"
Barbara
nodded, gripping his hand tighter and beginning down the long hallway to
Jenny's room.
Jenny Hill was sitting
up in bed flipping boredly through a magazine when Barbara poked her head in,
"Want some visitors?"
Jenny
grinned, tossing the magazine aside, "Love some - especially if they've bought
chocolate."
"No
chocolate - but I've heard I'm pretty tasty." Dick exclaimed, following in
Barbara's wake.
The
surprise on Jenny's face was priceless and she stared unmoving at their joined
hands for some time before regaining her senses, "What in the hell happened at
that birthday party?" She demanded.
The
young couple laughed and smiled at each other. "We had a punch up." Dick
admitted, winking at Barbara.
"A
punch up" Jenny repeated, her jaw sagging a little to accommodate her surprise.
"Yep"
Barbara said, handing the flowers to her friend, "And the rest, they say, is history!"
Jenny
scowled, "In other words I don't get the juicy details just the overall
summarisation."
"Exactly" Dick and
Barbara answered together.
"Good grief you're
already taking in tandem!" She exclaimed, "Those parties are going to be boring
again. Now I have to watch you two pash and actually like each other."
She made a face, "I'll have to get a new hobby."
Her
two childhood friends stared at her quietly, neither wanting to be the one to
point out that she probably would not see another one of those tiresome parties.
Then
Barbara began to notice a few things. The smile on Jenny's face was more than
just welcoming; it was excited and overjoyed. Her eyes gleamed for the first
time in months and she had even braided her hair, it no longer fell down her
shoulders tattered and uncared for.
"Why
do I get the feeling that we aren't the only one with news?" Barbara asked.
Dick
leaned over the bed and eyed Jenny's face curiously, "Yep - definitely
something hiding back there."
Jenny
giggled, batting him with her hand, "I have the mother of all surprises - beats
you two hands down."
Barbara
and Dick shared a glance then turned their attention back to the girl in the
bed.
"I've
gone into remission." Jenny said simply.
Their
mouths dropped and Dick grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly, "Really?"
"The
doctors confirmed it this morning."
Barbara
grabbed her friend in a hug, unashamedly crying. "That's fantastic!"
Jenny
gave a mischievous giggle, struggling under Barbara's weight, "You now what
would be even more fantastic?"
Two
pairs of shining eyes sought hers, "What?"
"If
you would both let me go. Babs you're choking me and Dick my hands gone numb!"
The
three laughed, releasing each other. Then Dick grabbed Barbara to him and they
hugged each other instead.
Jenny
threw a pillow at them, "Stop that! The insults were at least entertaining!
That's just gross!"
"What
happened? " Barbara asked when speech was possible, "I was sure after Freeze
that you would … " She broke off and Jenny smiled at her sympathetically, "Well
you weren't the only one to think that. The strangest part of this whole fiasco
is that I actually have Mr Freeze to thank for this - he cured my cancer."
That
was met by incredulous shouting complete with a healthy mix of anger and
disbelief.
"He
didn't do it on purpose. "Jenny continued, "As near as the doctors' can figure
when he made me into an iceblock the rapid freezing cause some changes in my
body."
Barbara
frowned, taking a seat on the side of the bed with Dick still firmly attached
to her hand, "What sort of changes?"
Jenny
sighed, "Well there's a long, medical explanation that I didn't really
understand but suffice to say the cooling caused my body to release natural
antibodies that attacked my cancer. It's got some medical theory behind it -
but I don't really care. As long as it's gone." She grinned at them, the smile
of a person given the best gift of all, "And I can't wait to get out of here!
Even if I do have to hang out with you two"
Dick
and Barbara sent her a dirty look each but couldn't wipe the smiles from their
faces. "Well this is good news." Dick commented, "The best news."
Jenny
raised her brow, "Well I don't know about that. You two will make a very
interesting front page - which is probably going to happen you know!"
Dick
shrugged, "I'm not so sure." He exchanged a look with Barbara and she
continued, "Everyone we've seen or told … well … they don't seem to be all that
surprised."
Jenny
rolled her eyes, "Well Duh! It was Soooo obvious. Everyone probably thinks
you've been secretly dating for months."
"Why
would they think that?" Barbara asked suspiciously.
Jenny
chuckled, "Because that's what I told everyone."
Dick
and Barbara's eyes widened and they both rose slowly from the bed, "I say we
kill her." Dick said dangerously, "I'm sure we could make it look accidental."
Barbara
shook her head, "No way - I say we take her out to dinner and to the movies and
do all that horrible couple stuff in front of her."
Jenny
glanced from one to the other silently, "You wouldn't!" She whispered.
Dick
and Barbara smiled at each other and leant over the bed to kiss, "It would be
our pleasure." They said in unison.
