Tama's in her living room reading a paperback novel when the door chime rings. She looks at the door and frowns – she was right in the middle of an exciting part! – then sighs, puts a bookmark on the page she was reading and places the book on the table. "Coming!" she calls as she gets up from the floor cushion (all her furniture is in traditional Japanese style, which means no chairs) and walks over to the door. Tama puts her hand on the panel. It flashes green and the door slides open.
Melanie's standing on the other side of the doorway, holding her purse in her hands. She looks like a lost puppy – actually, Tama realizes, she's looked like that for the past couple of days. "Mel! Come in!" she says, standing back to let her guest through the door. "Do you want some tea or something?"
"That'd be nice, thanks," Melanie says in a subdued tone of voice. Tama rushes to the kitchen to start the water boiling as Melanie goes to sit on one of the cushions by the table. Tama joins her a few moments later.
It is evident from the look on Melanie's face that something is very wrong. Tama knows her well enough to understand that she's come here to talk about it, but won't actually be able to say what it is that's bothering her until Tama manages to draw it out. She's weird that way. "So," Tama asks, "What brings you here?"
"I heard that Natalie talked to the JLU last night," Melanie says. "But I don't know what happened. I was wondering if you did."
That probably isn't all Melanie wants to talk about, but Tama can't just ask her outright. She needs to ease into it. "Alex told me it went well. I guess the JLU doesn't hate us anymore." Tama grins. "He also told me that Natalie is trying to find a name for us now that we're legit."
"Hm." Melanie traces abstract designs on the varnished top of the black table with a fingertip. "I'm not sure that's up to the JLU," she points out.
"Sure it is," Tama insists. "Until now they had a monopoly on…on whatever it is they are. You know." She shrugs. "I guess it pays to have a friend on the inside."
"You mean Batman," Melanie says quietly. Tama senses that they are getting closer to The Big Issue. Her suspicions are confirmed when Melanie says, "That's the other thing I wanted to talk about. Sort of."
She doesn't say anything after that, so Tama has to prompt her. "Go on."
Melanie bites her lower lip, then looks up at Tama like she's trying hard to muster her courage. "I was wondering, after I'm done with my training…I know I'm supposed to stay here while you go to New York, but can I go there instead?"
Ouch. That's a sticky issue. "I hate to say this, Mel," Tama says gently, "But you're still on parole for the next five years. And you'll be done with your training really soon."
"Maybe I can apply for permission to move to New York or something."
Tama shakes her head. "I'm not an expert on these things, but I don't think so. And even if you can do it, I'm not the one who'll decide where you're going to work. Nat will."
Melanie sighs and drags a hand down her face. "I don't know if she'll like my reasons. I was thinking that you could tell me whether they made sense or not before I go and ask her."
"So you're making me your trial run?" Tama asks. The kettle starts whistling from the kitchen, and she excuses herself briefly. After pouring the water into the teapot, she brings it and some cups in on a tray, which she puts down on the table. "Let it steep for five minutes," she says. "I forgot, what were we talking about again?"
"You were going to be the trial run for my explanation of why I don't want to stay in Gotham," Melanie answers.
"Okay, shoot," Tama says.
"First, you have to understand that you can't repeat any of this. Not to Alex or even to Nat," Melanie tells her. Tama nods solemnly. "Okay. I…I don't think I can stay in the same city with Batman. Not if I'm going to be in the same line of work."
"Is that because you used to be on different sides?" Tama asks.
"That's one reason," Melanie says. "But it's more complicated than that. I met him before we found out we were on different sides. I didn't know he was Batman, and he didn't know I was Ten."
Tama listens in rapt fascination. This sounds like it's going to be interesting.
"It didn't take him long to find out about me and my family. It was a while before I figured him out, though." She sighs. "Now we both know. And even if I have my costume on, he'll still know who I am. Or at least he'll be able to figure it out pretty quickly."
"So he knows who you are. Well, since you know who he is, you're even. I guess it would be uncomfortable, but…"
"No, you don't understand!" Melanie interrupts with sudden violence. Tama falls into shocked silence. Melanie takes a deep breath. "Before he found out who I was, and even after…" She raises a hand and makes a vague gesture. "We were in a relationship."
"A serious relationship?" Tama asks quietly.
"Very serious," Melanie admits.
"Oh," Tama says meekly as the implications become clear to her.
Melanie nods sadly. "It was weird enough talking to him when we were just ourselves. But with him as Batman and me…" She trails off. "I can't do this. I thought I'd be able to, but I just can't." Tama sees the glitter of tears forming in her eyes.
"It sounds like a good reason to me," Tama comments softly, "But I don't think it's gonna fly with Nat."
Melanie makes a sound halfway between a sigh and a sob. "You're right, it won't. But what the hell am I gonna do?"
Tama doesn't have an answer for her. She pours Melanie a cup of green tea and hands it to her. Melanie takes the steaming cup in her hands and clutches it as if her life depends on it before taking a sip. It seems to calm her down a little.
"I don't know. Maybe Natalie will let you move after all," Tama says, trying to reassure her friend as she pours herself some tea. "Me, I don't mind staying in Gotham. But if you can't switch places with me, I don't know what you can do. Just try and deal with it, I guess."
Melanie doesn't say anything. She puts her cup of tea down on the tray, but not as gently as she should – some of the contents spill out. Tama carefully puts her own cup down and puts an arm around Melanie's shoulders. "It'll be okay," she says, although she doesn't know how this can possibly turn out well.
The tears in Melanie's eyes finally spill over, and she buries her face in Tama's shoulder and starts to sob.
~***~
"…so she met with Superman last night. I still don't know how it's going," Terry concludes. Then he leans back in the chair – usually Wayne's chair, but he's sitting in it now – and looks up at his boss's face on the big computer screen before him. He links his hands behind his head and shrugs.
The casual act is just that – an act. He's really worried that he screwed up somehow. At least now he'll know for sure; Wayne will either say he did the right thing in his situation, or chew him out for doing something stupid and tell him what, if anything, he can do to fix it.
Wayne contemplates this for a few moments. Terry's anxiety makes it seem like a lot longer. "Well, you did the best you could, but it's out of your hands now," he says. Terry is relieved to hear that Wayne approves of his actions. "If Superman likes Natalie and her people, he'll be able to get the League on their side – it'll be a good start."
"If he likes them," Terry points out. "Could you, I don't know, put in a good word for them or something?"
Wayne smiles. "I'll try. They seem like they know what they're doing. And since Kitsune helped you yesterday, I suppose they've earned it."
Terry sits up straight, then leans forward with his forearms on his knees. "I guess so. But I'm a little worried: I've only met four of the people who work there, one of them just over the phone, and I guess I don't really know Kitsune."
"And one of them is a former criminal you put in jail," Wayne points out, his tone saying that he knows just how much this remark will annoy Terry.
"Yeah. There's that," Terry admits. He's glad his boss doesn't know the whole story. "I think I can trust them, but I'm not sure if they trust me."
"It'll take a while," Wayne assures him. "But I think we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this."
"You? Be optimistic?" Terry, jibes, seeing an opportunity to repay Wayne for bringing up Melanie. "I never thought I'd see the day!"
Wayne half-smiles at him. "There's a first time for everything, Terry. I have to sign off now, but I'll see you tomorrow at two-thirty."
"I'll be there," Terry assures him. "It'll be good to have you back. These last few days have been crazy. Oh, and Max has been putting together a database on these people that she wants you to see."
Wayne sighs. Terry knows perfectly well his boss's opinion on Max's involvement in Batman's affairs, but he's still trying to get Wayne to see her merits. "Tell her to send it to me," he says, with a tone of resignation tinged with amusement. "Just to humor her."
Terry smiles and nods. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Have a good night," Wayne says. Of course he doesn't mean this the way other people do when they say it."
Waving with one hand and pressing a button with the other, Terry ends the call and the screen goes blank.