A Different Game Part 2 c:
Quiet.
Other than the soft sounds of their breathing, no sound passed through their cell. Dick had lain on his bunk silently, facing the wall, since they had returned from watching Bruce's televised funeral. Tim sat on his bunk and watched the man he considered his older brother lay unmoving in a pain Tim knew he couldn't take away. It was as if Dick had given up during that funeral. As if his reason for living was buried in that coffin.
Tim wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jumpsuit, the tear stains muddying the orange material. He wanted to speak. NO! He wanted to scream. Yet, he silently sat there watching Dick. It was as if Tim were standing vigil over their shared grief.
The pain in Tim's chest tightened. Sniffling, he stood up and walked the few short steps across the cell. He sat on the floor beside of Dick's bunk. Tim crossed his arms and laid them on the bunk. He sighed and rested his head on his arms.
Slowly, silently, Dick turned to face the younger boy. It was the first time he had moved since re-entering the cell. His hand grabbed one of Tim's. Together they shared their heartache.
***********************************************************************
"My lead didn't pan out?"
"What lead?"
"About Grayson being in JDC," Detective Jacobs responded as he took a seat in the oversized chair near Peter Reynolds' desk. "Seems he was only placed there because his parents died and there were no fosters available. Nothing we can use."
"Too bad. But don't worry, we've got everything we could need. This was a sloppy murder."
"Yeah, but why go to the trouble of burning the body when they didn't even finish disposing of the remains?"
"Jacobs, we're talking about two spoiled rich kids. Clean up would've interfered with their Friday night partying in the 'Haven. I suspect they intended to go back Saturday and dispose of the rest of the evidence. They had no clue someone was going to visit Bruce that night and stumble upon what they did," Reynolds said as he started shaking his head.
Jacobs watched him. With concern, he asked, "You okay?"
Reynolds sighed. "This case bothers me."
"With this evidence?"
"Not the legal case. It's just that -- well, Bruce was a friend of mine. I always felt that attorneys shouldn't get involved in cases where they have emotional ties. But I feel I owe Bruce this. You know, he wasn't the ditzy playboy he pretended to be. He was very interested in the criminal justice system. He deserves justice. And by God, I'm going to see that those two pay."
BUZZ -- BUZZ
Answering the intercom's signal, Reynolds picked up the phone receiver, "Yes. -- Hi Jon. -- They want what? -- Why should I give them what they want? -- OK, I'll speak to Judge Vargas and see what we can do. I'll call you."
***********************************************************************
Barbara had left the 'family's' private wake they were holding in her apartment -- she needed to get away. Dinah entered Oracle's control room and watched her friend tapping away at her keyboard.
"Hon, are you okay?"
"Just needed to get back to work."
"That's all you've been doing. You need to rest. You need to stop. You need -- "
"I know who I need!" Babs stated sharper than she meant to.
Dinah pulled a chair over and grabbed Barbara's hands -- stopping whatever search she was beginning.
"Did you hear what you said," Dinah started softly.
Barbara looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Yes. I said I know what I need."
Dinah shook her head, keeping her hand on Barbara, "No, Hon, you didn't. You said you knew WHO you needed. And I know who you need too. How about you let me drive you to see him?"
Barbara bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from crying. She nodded her head at Dinah as they turned to leave.
***********************************************************************
"Grayson! Out!" a guard barked.
Dick continued to lay unmoving on his bunk. With wide eyes, Tim looked toward the door.
"Out! Now!" the guard yelled, as Dick remained still.
Tim squeezed Dick's hand. "Dick, you better go."
"Grayson! Now!"
"Please Dick," Tim whispered.
Slowly, Dick sat up. Leaving the bunk, he walked out of the cell. The now irritated guard roughly grabbed him by his arm in a pulling-pushing motion. Dick didn't fight. Listlessly, he went along.
"You've got to learn to do what you're told when you're told Grayson," the guard said. "You're not in that big Manor now, you do as you're told. Better to learn now than when you're in Blackgate."
WHEN you're in Blackgate, not IF, he thought to himself. He'd been to Blackgate before. No, he stopped himself -- Robbie Malone and Nightwing have been to Blackgate -- Dick Grayson never had.
The guard unlocked the entrance to the visitation hall and Dick walked in. He walked down the row of cubicles until he saw her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, yet his heart didn't skip a beat like it normally did when he saw her. His heart still hurt too much.
Barbara smiled at him, "How are you?"
He shrugged as he sat down. He just looked at her.
"I needed to come see you?" she said as she noticed how quiet he was. So unusually quiet. "Dick, say something."
"What?"
"Anything. Tell me how you feel."
He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. He ran his hand over his face; he could feel the stubble on his skin. His blue eyes met her green ones and he sighed. "Babs, I don't feel anything. Not anymore. That's the problem. I'm just empty. Just here."
Barbara felt the tears well up in her eyes, "Darling, you've got to hold on. You can't give up."
"Have you found Bruce? Has anyone found Bruce?" he asked without waiting for the answers he already knew. "No one's found him, no one's found any clues. Nothing ... nothing Babs. There's nothing to find."
She looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean?" she asked with a shaky voice.
"Bruce is dead. We've got to accept that."
"Dick," she started as her voice cracked.
"I need to see Jean-Paul."
"Why?" she asked, fearing she knew the answer
"Because I do, Babs. Because Gotham needs him. He's got to take his place -- he's the only one who can."
"Until you're --"
"Dammit Babs, stop kidding yourself. Bruce IS dead! And the only clues lead to Tim and me. We aren't getting out!"
Her tears were flowing unabashed. He couldn't be talking like this. He couldn't give up. "No! Don't say that! Don't talk like that! I won't let you!"
"Babs," he sighed.
"No! I love you Dick Grayson. I am NOT going to let you give up," she said as she placed her hand palm opened on the glass separating them.
He watched as her tears flowed. He heard her voice. It had a calming, soothing effect on his soul. But it was her love that he felt. He felt it wrap around him and give him strength.
She nodded her head in understanding as she tried to smile. "I need to touch you," she cried.
He placed his hand against the cold glass covering hers. "I know. Me too."
Jon Walters walked up to the visiting booth, "I'm glad to find you two together."
They both looked at Dick's attorney.
"What's going on Jon?" Dick queried.
"I talked to Reynolds and Judge Vargas. Made a motion for a speedy trial. Usually, that means you get a trial in 70 days. Reynolds wants to use the publicity and keep the momentum of the story going though, we've got a trial date in three weeks."
"We better get prepared."
to be continued ....
*** AUTHOR'S NOTE***
This part makes reference to when "Robbie Malone" was in Blackgate. That comes from another fic of mine titled simply "Robbie Malone" it was the first in what's now been dubbed "Robbie Maloneverse" on the Bludhaven Yahoo Group. Now that I've been shown how to post here, Robbie and Robbieverse will be heading toward ff.net.
Quiet.
Other than the soft sounds of their breathing, no sound passed through their cell. Dick had lain on his bunk silently, facing the wall, since they had returned from watching Bruce's televised funeral. Tim sat on his bunk and watched the man he considered his older brother lay unmoving in a pain Tim knew he couldn't take away. It was as if Dick had given up during that funeral. As if his reason for living was buried in that coffin.
Tim wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jumpsuit, the tear stains muddying the orange material. He wanted to speak. NO! He wanted to scream. Yet, he silently sat there watching Dick. It was as if Tim were standing vigil over their shared grief.
The pain in Tim's chest tightened. Sniffling, he stood up and walked the few short steps across the cell. He sat on the floor beside of Dick's bunk. Tim crossed his arms and laid them on the bunk. He sighed and rested his head on his arms.
Slowly, silently, Dick turned to face the younger boy. It was the first time he had moved since re-entering the cell. His hand grabbed one of Tim's. Together they shared their heartache.
***********************************************************************
"My lead didn't pan out?"
"What lead?"
"About Grayson being in JDC," Detective Jacobs responded as he took a seat in the oversized chair near Peter Reynolds' desk. "Seems he was only placed there because his parents died and there were no fosters available. Nothing we can use."
"Too bad. But don't worry, we've got everything we could need. This was a sloppy murder."
"Yeah, but why go to the trouble of burning the body when they didn't even finish disposing of the remains?"
"Jacobs, we're talking about two spoiled rich kids. Clean up would've interfered with their Friday night partying in the 'Haven. I suspect they intended to go back Saturday and dispose of the rest of the evidence. They had no clue someone was going to visit Bruce that night and stumble upon what they did," Reynolds said as he started shaking his head.
Jacobs watched him. With concern, he asked, "You okay?"
Reynolds sighed. "This case bothers me."
"With this evidence?"
"Not the legal case. It's just that -- well, Bruce was a friend of mine. I always felt that attorneys shouldn't get involved in cases where they have emotional ties. But I feel I owe Bruce this. You know, he wasn't the ditzy playboy he pretended to be. He was very interested in the criminal justice system. He deserves justice. And by God, I'm going to see that those two pay."
BUZZ -- BUZZ
Answering the intercom's signal, Reynolds picked up the phone receiver, "Yes. -- Hi Jon. -- They want what? -- Why should I give them what they want? -- OK, I'll speak to Judge Vargas and see what we can do. I'll call you."
***********************************************************************
Barbara had left the 'family's' private wake they were holding in her apartment -- she needed to get away. Dinah entered Oracle's control room and watched her friend tapping away at her keyboard.
"Hon, are you okay?"
"Just needed to get back to work."
"That's all you've been doing. You need to rest. You need to stop. You need -- "
"I know who I need!" Babs stated sharper than she meant to.
Dinah pulled a chair over and grabbed Barbara's hands -- stopping whatever search she was beginning.
"Did you hear what you said," Dinah started softly.
Barbara looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Yes. I said I know what I need."
Dinah shook her head, keeping her hand on Barbara, "No, Hon, you didn't. You said you knew WHO you needed. And I know who you need too. How about you let me drive you to see him?"
Barbara bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from crying. She nodded her head at Dinah as they turned to leave.
***********************************************************************
"Grayson! Out!" a guard barked.
Dick continued to lay unmoving on his bunk. With wide eyes, Tim looked toward the door.
"Out! Now!" the guard yelled, as Dick remained still.
Tim squeezed Dick's hand. "Dick, you better go."
"Grayson! Now!"
"Please Dick," Tim whispered.
Slowly, Dick sat up. Leaving the bunk, he walked out of the cell. The now irritated guard roughly grabbed him by his arm in a pulling-pushing motion. Dick didn't fight. Listlessly, he went along.
"You've got to learn to do what you're told when you're told Grayson," the guard said. "You're not in that big Manor now, you do as you're told. Better to learn now than when you're in Blackgate."
WHEN you're in Blackgate, not IF, he thought to himself. He'd been to Blackgate before. No, he stopped himself -- Robbie Malone and Nightwing have been to Blackgate -- Dick Grayson never had.
The guard unlocked the entrance to the visitation hall and Dick walked in. He walked down the row of cubicles until he saw her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, yet his heart didn't skip a beat like it normally did when he saw her. His heart still hurt too much.
Barbara smiled at him, "How are you?"
He shrugged as he sat down. He just looked at her.
"I needed to come see you?" she said as she noticed how quiet he was. So unusually quiet. "Dick, say something."
"What?"
"Anything. Tell me how you feel."
He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. He ran his hand over his face; he could feel the stubble on his skin. His blue eyes met her green ones and he sighed. "Babs, I don't feel anything. Not anymore. That's the problem. I'm just empty. Just here."
Barbara felt the tears well up in her eyes, "Darling, you've got to hold on. You can't give up."
"Have you found Bruce? Has anyone found Bruce?" he asked without waiting for the answers he already knew. "No one's found him, no one's found any clues. Nothing ... nothing Babs. There's nothing to find."
She looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean?" she asked with a shaky voice.
"Bruce is dead. We've got to accept that."
"Dick," she started as her voice cracked.
"I need to see Jean-Paul."
"Why?" she asked, fearing she knew the answer
"Because I do, Babs. Because Gotham needs him. He's got to take his place -- he's the only one who can."
"Until you're --"
"Dammit Babs, stop kidding yourself. Bruce IS dead! And the only clues lead to Tim and me. We aren't getting out!"
Her tears were flowing unabashed. He couldn't be talking like this. He couldn't give up. "No! Don't say that! Don't talk like that! I won't let you!"
"Babs," he sighed.
"No! I love you Dick Grayson. I am NOT going to let you give up," she said as she placed her hand palm opened on the glass separating them.
He watched as her tears flowed. He heard her voice. It had a calming, soothing effect on his soul. But it was her love that he felt. He felt it wrap around him and give him strength.
She nodded her head in understanding as she tried to smile. "I need to touch you," she cried.
He placed his hand against the cold glass covering hers. "I know. Me too."
Jon Walters walked up to the visiting booth, "I'm glad to find you two together."
They both looked at Dick's attorney.
"What's going on Jon?" Dick queried.
"I talked to Reynolds and Judge Vargas. Made a motion for a speedy trial. Usually, that means you get a trial in 70 days. Reynolds wants to use the publicity and keep the momentum of the story going though, we've got a trial date in three weeks."
"We better get prepared."
to be continued ....
*** AUTHOR'S NOTE***
This part makes reference to when "Robbie Malone" was in Blackgate. That comes from another fic of mine titled simply "Robbie Malone" it was the first in what's now been dubbed "Robbie Maloneverse" on the Bludhaven Yahoo Group. Now that I've been shown how to post here, Robbie and Robbieverse will be heading toward ff.net.
