Part 4
Barbara sat in between the beds that held her family. She still felt immense guilt over their conditions but she was starting to see she couldn't stop it. It was fate, a risk of being a superhero.
The doctors had all cleared out about an hour before, they'd left strict instructions but Barbara knew enough to take care of them both.
Dinah looked incredibly beaten up. Her normally fair skin was sickly pale and she was still hooked up to a few machines.
It broke Barbara's heart to see her hurt. Dinah may not have spoke to them about what happened to her with the Redmond's but they all knew she got a rough deal and went through a lot. She was so strong. She held on for nearly a decade then she found them. She still wasn't jaded and disillusioned, she genuinely wanted to help people, like they all did.
Helena was still sleeping but she'd wake up soon. Barbara thought she could be stronger, more held together if Helena was there supporting her. That girl really had become like a daughter or younger sister. They'd become depended on each other over the years.
So many people had left them both. But now, there was Dinah. Barbara tried not to think it, because she'd only end up getting hurt, but Dick had been so supportive the night before. He held her all night, even after she had cried herself to sleep. He was right there when she woke up just comforting her. It always felt so right being with him. It'd been that way for years, they were meant for each other but being together all the time just never seemed to work.
"Barbara." The small mumble pulled her from her thoughts.
"Hey Hel. You ok?" She asked as she wheeled to Helena's side.
Helena let her eyes focus and done a body check, her shoulder was a little itchy and her head was sore but everything seemed in working order. She quickly sat up and saw Dinah. The sight scared her. It made her feel like she should run, get away from the mortality of someone she cared about being hurt. But she couldn't.
Barbara could see what Helena was thinking. She put her hand over the brunettes, "She's ok. She's just going to take a while to heal." She then peeled back Helena's bandage to reveal the slightest wound, "Unlike you. You'll be fine by tonight." She told her.
Helena nodded. As she thought back to the night before she remembered the fight. "What happened? Are you ok? How did you stop McKenzie?"
"I… didn't." She answered simply.
"I heard you could use a little help so thought I'd take a trip over." Dick answered as he entered the room.
Helena was shocked to see Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson in the clock tower. "Hi." She greeted, not sure how to react. Dick was legally her brother but she didn't know him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked kindly.
"Fine. Thanks for…"
Dick cut her off, "Don't thank me, I was just looking out for family."
"Alfred?" She asked receiving a nod from the two.
"Babs, can I talk to you?" He asked.
Barbara looked at Helena, "Go. I'll stay with Dinah." She told her mentor.
Barbara gave Dinah a final check over before going to the living room where Dick and her could talk. On the way she couldn't help but be anxious. He was probably going to tell her that he had to leave today or right now.
He sat down and let Barbara settle in front of him. He wasn't sure how he was meant to start this. He'd practised the whole speech in shower but now he couldn't remember any of it.
"I love you." He blurted out without even thinking, so he decided to go with it. "I have for a long time and I have wanted nothing more than to live with you and be there for you every day but it's just never been the right time. What if the right time was now? Would you live with me? We could finally be together."
Barbara was overwhelmed. Dick did want to be with her but there was one problem. "I want to be with you, of course I do but I can't leave New Gotham. I can't leave the clock tower and I won't leave Dinah and Helena."
Dick took her hands into his, "You wouldn't have to, I would never expect that of you. I could come here. The Titans can cope without me and Bludhaven isn't under so much criminality as New Gotham. I want to be with, you Babs. I love you, you're the one and the last couple of days have made it clear that there's no point in staying away from each other, we can do so much more as a team. And maybe… We could be happy."
Barbara threw her arms around Dick's neck and hugged him tight. She bit back her tears. "I'd be so happy if you moved here."
Dick let out a breath, "Good, you had me a little worried there, Babs."
The red head grinned. "I love you." She proclaimed as she pulled back to kiss the man she loved with all her heart.
Barbara sat in between the beds that held her family. She still felt immense guilt over their conditions but she was starting to see she couldn't stop it. It was fate, a risk of being a superhero.
The doctors had all cleared out about an hour before, they'd left strict instructions but Barbara knew enough to take care of them both.
Dinah looked incredibly beaten up. Her normally fair skin was sickly pale and she was still hooked up to a few machines.
It broke Barbara's heart to see her hurt. Dinah may not have spoke to them about what happened to her with the Redmond's but they all knew she got a rough deal and went through a lot. She was so strong. She held on for nearly a decade then she found them. She still wasn't jaded and disillusioned, she genuinely wanted to help people, like they all did.
Helena was still sleeping but she'd wake up soon. Barbara thought she could be stronger, more held together if Helena was there supporting her. That girl really had become like a daughter or younger sister. They'd become depended on each other over the years.
So many people had left them both. But now, there was Dinah. Barbara tried not to think it, because she'd only end up getting hurt, but Dick had been so supportive the night before. He held her all night, even after she had cried herself to sleep. He was right there when she woke up just comforting her. It always felt so right being with him. It'd been that way for years, they were meant for each other but being together all the time just never seemed to work.
"Barbara." The small mumble pulled her from her thoughts.
"Hey Hel. You ok?" She asked as she wheeled to Helena's side.
Helena let her eyes focus and done a body check, her shoulder was a little itchy and her head was sore but everything seemed in working order. She quickly sat up and saw Dinah. The sight scared her. It made her feel like she should run, get away from the mortality of someone she cared about being hurt. But she couldn't.
Barbara could see what Helena was thinking. She put her hand over the brunettes, "She's ok. She's just going to take a while to heal." She then peeled back Helena's bandage to reveal the slightest wound, "Unlike you. You'll be fine by tonight." She told her.
Helena nodded. As she thought back to the night before she remembered the fight. "What happened? Are you ok? How did you stop McKenzie?"
"I… didn't." She answered simply.
"I heard you could use a little help so thought I'd take a trip over." Dick answered as he entered the room.
Helena was shocked to see Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson in the clock tower. "Hi." She greeted, not sure how to react. Dick was legally her brother but she didn't know him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked kindly.
"Fine. Thanks for…"
Dick cut her off, "Don't thank me, I was just looking out for family."
"Alfred?" She asked receiving a nod from the two.
"Babs, can I talk to you?" He asked.
Barbara looked at Helena, "Go. I'll stay with Dinah." She told her mentor.
Barbara gave Dinah a final check over before going to the living room where Dick and her could talk. On the way she couldn't help but be anxious. He was probably going to tell her that he had to leave today or right now.
He sat down and let Barbara settle in front of him. He wasn't sure how he was meant to start this. He'd practised the whole speech in shower but now he couldn't remember any of it.
"I love you." He blurted out without even thinking, so he decided to go with it. "I have for a long time and I have wanted nothing more than to live with you and be there for you every day but it's just never been the right time. What if the right time was now? Would you live with me? We could finally be together."
Barbara was overwhelmed. Dick did want to be with her but there was one problem. "I want to be with you, of course I do but I can't leave New Gotham. I can't leave the clock tower and I won't leave Dinah and Helena."
Dick took her hands into his, "You wouldn't have to, I would never expect that of you. I could come here. The Titans can cope without me and Bludhaven isn't under so much criminality as New Gotham. I want to be with, you Babs. I love you, you're the one and the last couple of days have made it clear that there's no point in staying away from each other, we can do so much more as a team. And maybe… We could be happy."
Barbara threw her arms around Dick's neck and hugged him tight. She bit back her tears. "I'd be so happy if you moved here."
Dick let out a breath, "Good, you had me a little worried there, Babs."
The red head grinned. "I love you." She proclaimed as she pulled back to kiss the man she loved with all her heart.