Stephanie stirred in darkness. She thought she opened her eyes but still
saw only black. Then, there were a few faint shades of grey and she could
just make out the cowl. She focused on it, frightened. Some irrational
part of her said she was dead and this was Hell: An eternity under the
disapproving eye of the Dark Knight himself. She shuddered but couldn't
look away. His cape moved ever so slightly in the breeze from the window.
And then, he nodded. It was a stiff motion but unmistakable. She squeezed
her eyes closed and shook her head in disbelief but of course when she
opened them again there was only the open window.
"Jackass." she thought as she was pulled back down into oblivion.
********
Blearily, Stephanie, opened her eyes at the sound of hushed voices, lots of them. She heard one of them shush all the others. A slender hand was gently placed on her brow and she knew instantly it was Alfred though she could not focus to see his face. She felt the same comforting feeling as before when he spoke.
"Are you awake enough to understand us this time, child?" She blinked and felt her eyes resist opening again so she simply closed them.
"Yeah. Could you get them to go away so I can sleep?" she heard their relieved chuckles ripple across the room and then nothing more.
********
She walked in a dream across a long bridge to meet Tad at the other side. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him but he did not embrace her. She stood back again wondering and he pulled out a knife. He plunged it into her chest and began carving out her heart. She could only stand there looking down in morbid fascination. He pulled it out and handed it to Tim who was suddenly standing next to her. He licked the blood off his fingers and put the knife away, kissed her lightly on the lips and walked away without a word. She blinked. Tim was suddenly in front of her. "If you want it back" he stated mercilessly. "You'll have to eat it." Then he began to cackle madly...
Steph woke up with a start. The hospital room was bright with sunlight and Tim sat at a little table next to her bed doing homework. He leapt up when he noticed her looking at him. Instantly he was by her side, grasping her hand.
"Steph!" He laughed. "Took you long enough." She chuckled weakly.
"How long was I out?"
"You lost a lot of blood, in a comma for two weeks before you woke up for Alfred. You've been sleeping for about sixteen hours now. The doctors assured us you hadn't slipped back into a comma but I was beginning to wonder." He looked at her more closely. "You're beautiful you know.."
"Oh Tim!" she sobbed interrupting him. "Don't be so nice to me." She tried to pull her hand away from his but he held fast.
"Stephanie, I know what happened. You were under a lot of stress. I understand."
"Damn Batman!" she spat. Tim blinked.
"How did you know he told me?" but she just rolled her eyes.
"Tim, I betrayed you! How can you sit there and..."
"Steph you're weak and agitated. Lets talk about this later."
"No." she put her fingers over his mouth. "I have to get this all out; tell you while I have the courage." She took a breath. "Is he gone?" she looked down at her hands. Peripherally she saw Tim nod solemnly.
"Totally disappeared." He replied.
She sighed and looked back into his eyes.
"I love you Tim. God, how I love you." She pulled his hand up to press her cheek into it. "I love being Spoiler, every minute of it. But...I also love Tad." Tim visibly winced. "You see? What does that tell you? I don't know what love is? I'm a confused little girl with a lot of pent up anger and nowhere to express it?" A tear rolled down his cheek as she went on. "You know what, Tim, I don't even know. But I do know that I have to find out, and I can't do it hiding behind a mask." Tim looked back into her eyes searching. Stephanie smiled. "I want you to go to my house and get my costumes." She hesitated only a moment. "I want you to burn them Tim. I don't ever want to see them again." Her own tears finally flowed now, and he gathered her into his arms but she wasn't done with him yet.
"I'm going to ask mom to move. I can't stay in Gotham." Tim pulled away slightly and wiped his tears away."
"Stephanie Brown, are you telling me you're going to break up with me?"
"No, Tim Drake, I'm doing it right now."
Tim hugged her again determined to hold on for as long as possible. He knew that as soon as he let go, it would be forever.
"Jackass." she thought as she was pulled back down into oblivion.
********
Blearily, Stephanie, opened her eyes at the sound of hushed voices, lots of them. She heard one of them shush all the others. A slender hand was gently placed on her brow and she knew instantly it was Alfred though she could not focus to see his face. She felt the same comforting feeling as before when he spoke.
"Are you awake enough to understand us this time, child?" She blinked and felt her eyes resist opening again so she simply closed them.
"Yeah. Could you get them to go away so I can sleep?" she heard their relieved chuckles ripple across the room and then nothing more.
********
She walked in a dream across a long bridge to meet Tad at the other side. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him but he did not embrace her. She stood back again wondering and he pulled out a knife. He plunged it into her chest and began carving out her heart. She could only stand there looking down in morbid fascination. He pulled it out and handed it to Tim who was suddenly standing next to her. He licked the blood off his fingers and put the knife away, kissed her lightly on the lips and walked away without a word. She blinked. Tim was suddenly in front of her. "If you want it back" he stated mercilessly. "You'll have to eat it." Then he began to cackle madly...
Steph woke up with a start. The hospital room was bright with sunlight and Tim sat at a little table next to her bed doing homework. He leapt up when he noticed her looking at him. Instantly he was by her side, grasping her hand.
"Steph!" He laughed. "Took you long enough." She chuckled weakly.
"How long was I out?"
"You lost a lot of blood, in a comma for two weeks before you woke up for Alfred. You've been sleeping for about sixteen hours now. The doctors assured us you hadn't slipped back into a comma but I was beginning to wonder." He looked at her more closely. "You're beautiful you know.."
"Oh Tim!" she sobbed interrupting him. "Don't be so nice to me." She tried to pull her hand away from his but he held fast.
"Stephanie, I know what happened. You were under a lot of stress. I understand."
"Damn Batman!" she spat. Tim blinked.
"How did you know he told me?" but she just rolled her eyes.
"Tim, I betrayed you! How can you sit there and..."
"Steph you're weak and agitated. Lets talk about this later."
"No." she put her fingers over his mouth. "I have to get this all out; tell you while I have the courage." She took a breath. "Is he gone?" she looked down at her hands. Peripherally she saw Tim nod solemnly.
"Totally disappeared." He replied.
She sighed and looked back into his eyes.
"I love you Tim. God, how I love you." She pulled his hand up to press her cheek into it. "I love being Spoiler, every minute of it. But...I also love Tad." Tim visibly winced. "You see? What does that tell you? I don't know what love is? I'm a confused little girl with a lot of pent up anger and nowhere to express it?" A tear rolled down his cheek as she went on. "You know what, Tim, I don't even know. But I do know that I have to find out, and I can't do it hiding behind a mask." Tim looked back into her eyes searching. Stephanie smiled. "I want you to go to my house and get my costumes." She hesitated only a moment. "I want you to burn them Tim. I don't ever want to see them again." Her own tears finally flowed now, and he gathered her into his arms but she wasn't done with him yet.
"I'm going to ask mom to move. I can't stay in Gotham." Tim pulled away slightly and wiped his tears away."
"Stephanie Brown, are you telling me you're going to break up with me?"
"No, Tim Drake, I'm doing it right now."
Tim hugged her again determined to hold on for as long as possible. He knew that as soon as he let go, it would be forever.
