***

***
before
***
"Ohmygod!" She screamed, suddenly waking up. She pushed away from Kon, jumping out of the bed.

"That…." Kon grinned, staring sightlessly from where Cassie's voice was coming from, "Was awkward."

Cassie turned bright red, thankful, for a moment, that Kon couldn't see her, "I…um…eek.." She ran out of the room, leaving Kon, for a moment, alone.

He sighed, and pushed the covers away, letting his bare feet touch the cold cement floor.
He missed her already.

***
now
***

A particularly ratty looking waitress came by, taking his order. She smiled at him, smacking her gum, as she poured him another cup of disgusting coffee, and took his order.

She left him, staring out the window, wondering what he was going to do next. He watched as a family of four pulled out of the parking lot, and had the sudden urge to kill them. His fist balled up, he grasped the knife tightly.

Then he snapped out of it.

He stared at the knife in his hand in horror, wondering if he picked it up in the first place.

The girl came back with the cold cereal he ordered, and more of the nauseating coffee, spilling some on the table. She leaned in close, her cigarette breath making him reel. Yet he was aroused. He wanted to grab her by the lapels and….

He snapped out of it.

He drew in a sharp breath and shifted, as she left, raising a shaky hand for the spoon.

***

Cassie fumbled in the locker room for her stuff, automatically pulling on her Wonder girl costume, and wondering how she was going to explain this to her mom. She certainly wasn't going to tell the truth.

Hey mom, you know Kon? The guy I had a crush on for…like…forever…yeah, I slept with him. What? That's a bad thing? Yeah, well, I just thought you'd like to know where I was, since I mysteriously disappeared from school.

She shook off the Superman t-shirt, and reached for the Wonder girl t-shirt.
She breathed in sharply when she noticed in the mirror Kon. He was behind her, sitting on one of the benches.

She briefly considered why she was embarrassed. So what if she was in her bra, Kon couldn't see a damn thing anyway.

"Kon?" She whispered, sitting beside him, and slipping on her shirt.

"Man, doesn't this suck, the only time I have a chance to see you change, and I'm blind." He laughed.

"How did you get here?"

"What, Cassie, just because I'm blind, doesn't mean I'm paralyzed."

"Then how did you get to the only room occupied by the one semi-naked chick?"

"Would you believe Karma, Cass?"

Cassie laughed, "Come on Kon, shows over."

Kon stood up shakily, his arms flailing for a steady object. Cassie reached out, pulling him close to her.

He fell against her heavily, allowing her to guide him through the room, and back out to the cave. She was distinctly aware of his warm breath trickling down her collar as she sat him down on the ratty couch.

"Cassie?"

"Yes Kon?"

"I have one question."

"What is it Kon?"

"How did you end up on top of me this morning?"

Certainly to the point.

"Would you believe Karma?"

***

Tim was back on the road again. He had traded in the Red Bird at a small used car dealer, raking in enough money for a smaller, less conspicuous car. He had made sure to strip the Red Bird of all remaining value, getting rid of anything that might connect him, or the car, to Batman. Still, even in its depleted state, the car lit up the eyes of the creepy salesman, who eagerly shoved cash into his hands, far less from what it was worth.

Tim almost felt bad.

Almost.

And now he was back on the road, without the slightest idea of where he was going. He knew that if was to go anywhere, it would either be the smallest town, where they couldn't afford superheroes, or the biggest city, where the tiny people go unknown. He opted for a bigger city, like New York or Los Angles, where he could get lost easily.

New York was closer, so, following the twisted logic was warping his head right now, he figured that the closest place is the most obvious place, which is exactly the place where Bruce wouldn't look for him.

He breathed in shakily. It had been close in that truck stop. The urges where becoming stronger, and he didn't know how long he would be able to be in control.

The urge to grab that waitress and…and…..he couldn't comprehend what he would have done, it was painful to even think it.

But he had. He had entertained the notion for those few, essential seconds. It was scary. There had been nothing he could have done if he hadn't snapped out of it when he had.

He was startled when the sound of sirens filled his ears.

He glanced at the rear-view mirror spotting the red and blue lights of the highway patrol. He glimpsed at the speedometer, noticing, for the first time that he was twenty miles over the speed limit.

He slowed down and pulled to the side.

The policeman came sauntering up to the window, a clipboard in his hand, a smirk on his face. It took all of Tim's willpower to roll down the window and smile nervously, "What is it officer?"

He grinned, resting his arm on the roof of the car, and leaning in, "Did you know you were going twenty miles over the speed limit?"

No shit, Sherlock. "No officer, I'm sorry."

And without warning, Tim's hand shot out and grabbed the officer by the neck.

His hands squeezed around the flesh, the officer's eyes bulging with pain. He made a tiny gurgling sound, and Tim kicked open the door, letting go of the officer, while simultaneously grabbing the gun.

He pressed the gun to the man's head, a drop of blood oozing from around the muzzle, as he pressed harder, "Get up."

The officer shakily stood up, his hands lifted in the air.

Not a car in sight.

He motioned with the gun to the embankment, "Move."

The man slowly moved, each step sending puffs of red dust to swirl in the breeze.

He motioned with the gun, "On your knees."

It seemed like forever until the officer complied.

That's when Tim's foot shot out, catching the man in the ribs. He groaned with pain and collapsed on the dirt ground, clutching his side, wheezing. Tim let out another kick, this time harder, sending a stream of blood to splash on the red dust.

The officer was crying, moaning something that Tim couldn't make out.

He kicked again, and again, and again. Each time with more ferocity then the one before. The officer before him was left in a bloody heap.

His foot was raised for another kick when he stopped.

He snapped out of it.

It was suddenly quiet. His breath came out in short gasps, from the exertion, and his face was splashed with blood. He wiped it with his hand, succeeding in only smearing it more.

Oh God…

He slowly backed away, and sprinted to the car.

***

Oracle was frantically typing on the computer, when Dick sneaked in through the window. For probably the first time since he had known her, she didn't have a smirk on her face, or a witty remark on the time it took him to bypass all her security measures.

It took him exactly five minutes.

Oracle didn't say a word.

Even as he approached her chair, she didn't turn around to greet him, rather threw a, "Hold on!" over her shoulder.

Her eyes were squinted as she concentrated on the screen before her. A strand of red hair fell across her features, and as Dick tried to push it out of the way, she snapped at his fingers with an annoyed movement of the hand.

So he resigned to perch on the desk behind her and wait for her to tell him what was going on.

Babs leaned back, letting out the breath she had been holding, "Oh boy…" She muttered, giving a few taps to the keyboard. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, then leaned back to squint at the monitor, her lips working on the tip of her pencil.

"Oh boy…" She muttered again, this time tapping the keyboard more forcefully. She spun in her chair, and moved to another computer beside her, typing a few things, then switching back to the other computer.

This went on for another minute.

She finally stopped.

She was rubbing her temples and muttering something when Dick finally spoke up.

"Babs, what is it?"

She was silent for a moment, when she finally looked up, "Timbo is in trouble." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, while picking up a sheaf of papers from the printer, "Really big trouble."

She handed Dick the papers, "That's a police APB for the greater NY area," She handed him a grainy black and white photograph, "And that's taken from a mounted video camera in a highway patrol car."

It clearly showed Tim holding a gun to the officer's head.

"Oh my god…"

"This is really bad Dick." She paused for a moment, "The officer was found an hour ago…"

Uh Oh.

"Dead?"

Babs shook her head, "No, at least we have comfort in that…" She handed him another paper, "But it's still bad."

Dick read the report, "Oh my god, Babs, this can't be him." His eyes widened as he read on, "This is- this is savage."

"I don't know what's going on, I had Canary get me samples from the NY lab, and they match Tim." She pushed away from the desk and wheeled over to where Dick was perched, "Luckily, I guess, I was able to get Tim's samples offline before they could match up, but…"

"You don't think that was a good idea?"

"What if that was our only link, if the police were on the look out for him, they are spread through the country…" She sighed again, "Dick, something is going on, and I think it has to do with Young Justice."

***

"Kon, for the hundredth time, stop pacing!!!"

"Cassie, I'm bored. I'm blind. I can't read, I can't walk somewhere else, I can't goggle at hot girls on the beach, and most importantly of all, I can't watch Wendy the Were-wolf Slayer! What do you think I'm going to?"

"I don't know…"

"Cassie this really sucks."

Cassie was silent, collapsing beside him on the couch, "You could always imagine Cissie naked…"

He turned to her, smiling, "You know Cassie, you're the only one I think of naked." He grinned and avoided her slap.

Cassie froze.

"Kon, did you notice what you just did?"

Kon looked towards her voice, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"You avoided my slap, I was going to hit you, and you moved out of the way."

"I did?" He looked confused, "How did I do that?"

Cassie paused, "I think I know why…." She also began to pace, "Your TTK field basically surrounds you all the time, right?"

"Right…"

"I think, through that field, you can sense objects, whether they are closer or farther by how much they impede on your field, like your one big walking guide stick…"

"Guide stick…heh…I'm a guide stick…"

"Kon!"

"What? You said it!"

"That is so juvenile…"

***

Tim squinted as he navigated the dark road. He had finally gained control of himself, and was in more of a rush to get to the city.

He couldn't concentrate. The road was shifting in front of him, twisting and turning where it was supposed to be straight. He tried hard to control his breathing, and the short gasps that where escaping his lips did little to ease him.

Whatdididowhatdididowhatdidido…

He kept repeating to himself, a harsh mantra meant to keep him alert. He had to ditch the car.

The onboard camera from the police cruiser would have certainly picked up his license plate number, and small black, beat-up camero wouldn't be hard to spot.

He scanned the outskirts of the highway, hoping to find a different car dealership. He spotted a tiny one on the left. He pulled off the highway, careful to avoid any police of highway patrol, and slipped quietly into the parking lot of the small business.

He quickly wiped his face again, hoping to get rid of most of the blood. He stuck his hands in his pockets, and made sure that he had a sweater to cover his red-stained t-shirt.

As quickly as he had pulled in, he was out, more cash in his pocket, and no car. He didn't have enough for a trade in, but he would manage to get a bus-ticket out of wherever he was.

A short distance away from the dealership sat a run-down bus station. A weary old man sat behind a steel, reinforced counter, dolling out tickets to the few people that waited there. Tim hefted his black bag on his shoulder, and paid quickly for the ticket to New York City.

The bus was coming in an hour.

***

Dick rubbed his eyes wearily. The words on the report were blurring, and for the tenth time reading it, it yielded little information. He wasn't concerned with the report itself, just concerned on how he was going to break it to Bruce.

Oracle spoke up, "If you are thinking about how you are going to tell Bruce, stop, he already knows."

"How?"

"Alfred told him."

"Oh." Dick was silent, "That spared me a lot of trouble." He flopped on the couch, "So, Babs, what is he going to do about it?"

"About Tim leaving?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing."

This startled Dick, "Why not, Tim has gone crazy, he practically killed a man."

"Bruce doesn't know that."

"But-"

Barbara raised her hand, "I didn't tell him about that part, I just told him that Tim left, and I was keeping an eye out for him."

"And that satisfied him??"

"In the short run, I hope Tim isn't going to be gone enough for the long run."

"Barbara, do you know something?"

She was silent, her hair covering her features as her fingers were poised over the keyboard, "I always know something Dick."

***

Kon grabbed the remote, for no other purpose but to listen to the television. Being blind, watching anything was out of the picture, but it didn't rule out listening to the blaring television set. He let his lids close over his useless eyes, and listened to CNN.

"CNN Kon?" Cassie asked, from behind him. He smelled the coffee in her hand.

"Coffee Cassie?"

"Shuddup." She growled, taking a quick sip, wincing as it burnt her tongue, "What's with the CNN? I thought you only watched MTV?"
"Cassie, I'm not the lowbrow, neanderthal teen you take me for. I only watched MTV for the half naked chicks, and now that I can't *see* those gyrating naked chicks anymore, I'm left to at least listen to something is somewhat educational."

"That's what PBS is for Kon."

"You want to know the truth?"

"No, of course not Kon. I want to remain ignorant." She plopped down on the couch, spilling some coffee on the coffee table and on her hand. She hissed and grabbed her hand in pain, "Ow..."

Kon grinned, and grabbed her hand, "Smart move Cassie." He lightly wiped away the coffee from her hand with the end of his shirt.

"You're ruining your shirt, Kon." Cassie pulled in a breath as he rubbed her hand, blowing on it gently with his lips. Why does he have to be so damn hot…

"I know," He grinned up at her, his sightless eyes looking just past her face, "But who cares, If I can't see it…"

And than he kissed her. It was so quick, and so swift, Cassie was left to wonder how he knew where her mouth was.

The kiss grew deeper. It moved from the first time, tentative kiss to that tense, sexual energy crackling in the air type, the one that singes eyebrows and makes the skin feel clammy and warm…

"A police man was found on Highway 101 early this morning, severely beaten. Officer John Larue is currently in a coma, after what seemed to be a customary pull over. From what was released by the New Jersey Police Department, it seems as if an unidentified teenager beat the officer…" A small clip from the police tape played on the television, the woman's voice accompanying it.

Cassie's eyes grew wide. She stopped moving, where Kon, oblivious to the moment, felt her unresponsiveness.

"Cass, Oh god, I'm sorry…" He pushed himself away, stumbling against the low coffee table, "God…that was wrong of me…"

"Shut up Kon, it's not about you…" Cassie's eyes grew wider as the woman droned on.

"The NJPD is asking that if anyone knows who this person may be, they ask to please contact…"

"Cassie what is it?"

"No…No, it can't be…" She whispered.

"What is it?" Kon was more insistent, frustrated, now more than ever, with his inability to see what Cassie was reacting to.

"It's Rob."

***

The boy in the back of the bus was thrashing. His forehead was swathed with sweat, and his fists were clenched. His black t-shirt clung to his chest, and his leather jacket bunched dup around his arms. His head moved back and forth, and a harsh breath erupted from his flared nostrils.

The girl that saw all this was worried. The bus was almost empty just two people, herself and this guy. The driver, a burly New Yorker ignored the two, preferring to listen to the radio than car what his passengers were up to.

The girl, a sixteen-year-old runaway, against all common sense, reached out and nudged him on the shoulder.

The movement stopped.

The boy's eyes hadn't opened, but the thrashing and the shivering had stopped. His breathing came out in harsh gasps, and he was gulping for air, and then that stopped. His eyes were still closed and he was silent, not moving. A shaky hand came up and wiped sweat from his forehead.

Then his eyes snapped open.

They were milky black, contacts? She looked again, realizing that it must have been the light, they were light blue.

He stared at her, fear etched in his face. He pulled away from her arm, and struggled to compose himself, yanking at his coat, straightening his shirt. The girl didn't know what to say.

She stumbled with her words, "Sorry, um….you were dreaming, and…" he didn't respond, just nodded his head, and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm Kerry, I'm going to New York to…"

He wasn't listening to her anymore, his eyes were shut again, his hands clenched into tight fists, pounding against the armrests. He was mumbling something…..

His eyes snapped open.

They were black.

A wide grin spread across his face and his hand shot out, grabbing her neck, pushing her up against the bus wall. She struggled, her hands beating against his chest, clawing at his hand wrapped around her throat.

He squeezed harder, the veins on the girl's neck and face bulging and a trail of red dribbled from between her cracked lips from where she bit her tongue. He slammed her against the seat, where her head knocked against the plastic backing, her dirty blonde hair staining with blood.

The bus driver shouted something and pulled to the side of the deserted road. The driver pulled out a shot-gun from behind the seat, and ran towards the back of the bus. He tried taking aim, following the boy's movements as he choked the girl. He couldn't get a clear shot. His finger itched near the trigger, and as he lined the sights up with the boy, the gun was knocked from his hands with harsh kick that sent him flying towards the front of the bus. The boy tossed the girl against a seat, and made his way to the front of the bus, where the bus driver struggled to get up. He let out another kick, pushing the driver down the tiny stairs, against the door. The man hit his head against the handrail and slid to the floor, knocked out.

The boy turned back to the girl, who was rubbing her throat painfully, looking at him in horror. She stumbled back, clawing at the floor as she moved. He stepped closer, grabbing her wrist and yanking her up until she faced him. Her breathing came out ragged, and it fell hot against his face.

He blinked, his eyes turning from a black…to a blue…for a brief second he looked in her frightened eyes. His mouth fell open, and the hand that held the wrist tightly, loosened.

There was silence. No screaming, no grunts of pain, just ragged breathing as they stared into each other's eyes.

He grinned again, kicked her and pushed her against the wall.

***

"What are you talking about?" Kon's sightless eyes stared at the TV, than back at Cassie, "What is it?"

Cassie pointed at the television, knowing full well that Kon couldn't see her, but she did it all the same, "The guy they were talking about on the news, that was Rob."

"Did they show his face?"

"No."

"Did they say his name?"

"No."

"Then what makes you think it was Rob?" Kon, reached out and clasped her trembling hand, "This is Rob were talking about. Putting a policeman in a coma?" He laughed, rubbing her hand, trying to calm her down.

"He was wearing the yJ communicator."

Kon's hand went limp.

"Oh, shit…"

***
He pushed the girl to the floor, pressing his body against her own, the girl struggled beneath him unsuccessfully. His lips pressed against her own, and as one hand held her wrists to the floor, the other fumbled with the buttons on her blouse.

His communicator beeped.

He stared at it, his eyes wide, The red light on the communicator flashed, and Cassie's face came on the little screen.

"Rob?"

He blinked, pushing himself away from the girl. He stood, dizzy for a moment, his eyes searching for something.

There.

His bag, pushed under a chair during the fight. He grabbed it with one hand, the other with the communicator still flashing, he bashed against a metal railing, crushing the screen, causing Cassie's image to disappear.

He shut his eyes, trying not to take in what he had done.

The girl on the floor was still trying to catch her breath.

He wanted to reach out and help her up, and brush her off, and tell her everything was going to be okay.

He fucking did this to her.

He pushed through the bus doors, and ran out into the night.

***

"Do you think I wouldn't find out?"

Oracle's head snapped up, her red hair scattering. Her eyes widened. Then she sighed and pushed her chair to the window, unlocking it, and letting Batman through.

"No, but I was hoping to delay it for a while."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" his voice was louder, and he took a step closer.

"I couldn't, after Jason…"

"That doesn't matter." His voice was softer now, "I needed to hear this from you." He sighed, pulling his cowl off, "Do you know how it was to see Tim's face on the news, in the middle of a meeting with Luscious?"

"I'm sorry…"

"What is really going on Barbara?"

***

The brief instant that she saw Rob's face, she couldn't believe it was him. His eyes were dark, bags were beginning to show, and his skin was so pale. He looked sick. Really, really sick. He didn't look like the calm confident Rob that they knew. He was scary, dangerous, his black hair scattered very which way, and his clothes, rumpled, as if he hadn't changed them from last night.

And the girl. The girl, some brown haired, doe eyed, skinny thing was staring back at her in shock, mouthing a word. Help.

Rob's hand was wrapped around her wrists, his fingers twisted in her blouse, stained with blood.

Oh god, Cassie felt like she was going to be sick. And just as quickly as his face appeared on the screen, the view changed, twisting and spiraling as his wrist flew in the air, and hit something. The screen turned to static.

"Cassie, what did you see, did he say anything?"

Kon stood beside her, his arm resting against the wall above the monitor

Cassie turned away, her eyes shut tight, short breaths escaping from under her clamped lips, "Oh god Kon, we have to find him."

"But how?"

"We have to contact Oracle."

***

Barbara handed Bruce a sheaf of papers, "This is the full police report, and some background information on the officer. She sighed, pushing herself to the computer terminal, "But that's not so important, nothing there tells use why Tim is doing what he's doing. This is Tim, he has never acted this way before."

She pressed print on her computer and the laser printer whirred to life, spewing out paper.

"So I did some cross checking, looking for similar occurrences, and I've narrowed I down to a few possibilities-"

She was interrupted when a face flashed on the computer.

It was a very confused, but worried looking girl, "Hello?" She called out nervously, "Hello? Anyone there? We really need your help."

Bruce stared at Barbara, "Who is that?"

"Cassie Sandmark, Wondergirl"

Barbara activated her Oracle icon and voice synthesizer, "Oracle here, what's wrong?"

The girls face relaxed for a moment, "Thank god, I didn't know what I was doing." Her face returned to a grim set.

"Just look."

The a window popped up on Oracle's computer showing that Cassie was sending her a file.

"What does she have to do with anything?" asked Bruce, pulling on his mask before stepping within the monitor's view.

"She's his team-mate in Young Justice-" She was cut off when the screen came to life.

When the short video ended, and Cassie's face came back on the screen, Oracle and Batman's mouths hung open momentarily in shock.

"I'll get back to you." Barbara quickly said as she closed Cassie's window.

Bruce stared at the frozen image on the screen, a grim line set in his face, "Dammit, Barbara, why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?" He spun around, his cape trailing behind him, "I am holding you responsible."

He disappeared through an open window, the sudden burst of air, making Babs feel cold.

"Damn."

***

Keep running, keep running, keep running….

His feet pounded hard against the black cement as he raced through the dark. His pants were torn from where they had caught on the underbrush, and his face bloody, from where trees and thorns had come in contact.

He still ran.

His feet pumped harder as lights came around the bend. Police cars flew past him, heading towards the direction he had been running from. Jesus, he thought, Jesus…

He looked back, staring in horror as more cars came past him.

Jesus…

He momentarily tripped, not watching where he was going, since his eyes were glued with perverse fascination as an ambulance sped past.

Had he killed someone?

Keep Running…

And he did.

Soon he came to a small gas station, a blonde administered to the counter, snapping her gum as she flipped through a magazine.

He slipped in, quiet except for the bell that rang as he opened the door. He looked around, almost fearfully, trying to find the video cameras. One was trained on the entrance, its red light blinking lazily in the small room.

He kept his head down, covering his face with his hand, he searched for a telephone.

Have to call-

His hand reached for the phone, fingers wrapping around the plastic handset. He brought it to his ear, his fingers pressing against the numbers.

-Keep running

He dropped the phone with such suddenness that the girl looked up from her magazine, her mouth open in mid chew.

He turned, and ran outside.

It had begun to rain.

***
Cassie pushed past Kon, reaching for the phone that hung on the wall, beginning to dial, "I think we should call Bart-"

Kon's hand had found the receiver, hanging it up.

"No. Don't call him."

Cassie turned to him angrily, "What are you doing? He can help."

"No. We can't call him, or Cissie, or anyone else."

Cassie stared at him, "Why, this is Robin, why wouldn't Bart help?"

"Bart isn't that mature Cassie, lets face it. He wants nothing to do with Young Justice anymore, and he wouldn't come even if you asked him."

"But Rob's his-"

"No he isn't."

"Kon…"

"He's not Bart's friend, Cissie's friend, my friend or yours." He touched Cassie's shoulder, "He was never a friend of any of us. He never got that close."

"Dammit, Kon, you know that's not true." She pulled away from his grasp, grabbing her jacket that hung on the rack behind her, "Fine then, I'm going to help him."

Kon grabbed her arm, "Cass, let the big bad bat handle this, they don't need our help."

Cassie stared at him in shock.

"Kon, you are so fucking self defeating it makes me sick."

Kon's face froze, his hand went limp.

Cassie ripped her arm from his grasp once more, "Go sit on the couch and bitch about being useless, but I'm going to do something."

She flew from the cave.

Kon stared sightlessly at the wall, breathing in, he sighed, "Fuck."

***

Barbara's fingers flew across the keyboard. Like before, her eyes focused on the screen from behind her glasses, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do.

Can't get the cops into this…

She pushed away from her computer, her mouth letting go a stream of curses as she wheeled towards the kitchen. She wasn't paying attention as she banged her wheel chair against something muscular.

She looked up.

Ted Kord smiled back down at her, a dozen roses in his left hand, two tickets in his right.

"Hello Beautiful."

She didn't smile as she maneuvered past him, "What are you doing here?"

"Wooing you?"

Barbara grabbed a can of glazed peaches, struggling with the can opener. She cut herself with the jagged edge, "Dammit!" she cursed as she brought her hand to her mouth, "Jesus-" She spun around in her wheelchair, narrowly avoiding Ted who stood behind her.

"I don't have time for this Kord."

Ted just grinned, maneuvering past her reaching for a vase that lay precariously close to the shelf's edge. He filled it with water, grinning again, as Barbara bashed her elbow against the fridge, letting out another string of curses.

"Barbara…" he intoned, as he placed the roses in the vase and sat it down on the dinner table. He grabbed some milk from the fridge, and poured it into a cup, "I think…" He reached for some cocoa, stirring in the brown powder with the cold milk. While holding the cup of cold cocoa he reached for a packet of cookies from the pantry, laying them on the plate with one quick swipe, "You have to…"

He pushed Barbara's chair with his foot towards the living room, while hopping on one foot, supporting a cup of milk and a plate of cookies in one hand, and balancing himself with the other, he miraculously got there without an accident. He pushed the plate of cookies in her hand and set the cocoa milk on the coffee table. He knelt beside her, "….take a break."

She just scowled at him, pushing the plate of cookies towards him, "I don't have time to take breaks."

"Barbara…"

"You don't understand and I don't have time to explain it to you-" She gulped down the milk, "- so if you don't mind…"

"Barbara…"

She spun around in her chair, heading to the computer room. "I don't have time!"

"You sound like that rabbit in Alice in Wonderland." He followed her to the computer room, "You have to take a break, Barb, Oracle has to sleep, doesn't she?"

"Not now."

"What's so important? Maybe I can help."

"I can't let you help."

"Barbara." He spun her around and she glared at him, "I am a computer programmer, I know everything there is to know about computers and more. I have an extensive array of gadgets that can get anything anytime, anywhere. I can get you into the upper echelons of the FBI, CIA, ATF, and a number of secret organizations. Hell, I can read the president's naughty email. I. Can. Do. Anything." he leaned in closer, whispering in her ear, "I can get you anything."

***

Ok, took me long enough, right? I apologize. I'm a stupid, stupid person.

Read an review? Please?

With a naked robin on top?

Oooh….

-dafnap