Dunno what to say, but, have fun.

Chapter 7: Hellbent For Leather

The doctor walked in to find me awake. He nodded at me and turned to Raven.

"Mrs. Roth, your husband is in mortal danger. However, he will need to rest and relax for the next few days. No strenuous physical activity. No sex."

"No sex? What if I get really, really horny?"

"Masturbate. He shouldn't have intercourse for the next couple of days. He could rip open some old wounds."

"So," Raven smiled, "No blowjobs?"

"Like I said, no-" The doctor stopped mid-sentence and burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm sorry, mechanical reaction. You really wouldn't believe how many people ask that. Anyway, I suppose it's okay, but keep it at that."

"We will."

"Well, Malice, I guess you can go now." The doctor walked out and Raven helped me out of bed.

"Daddy! You're okay." Alex squealed. She embraced me, but carefully. "And," She began. "I'm pregnant."

"That's great, but just be careful this time."

She looked at me balefully. "I know Daddy. I will be."

"Well, let's go home." Raven said. We walked out together, me walking very carefully, so as not to hurt my body any more than it already was. To tell the truth, I was in incredible pain. But I had my wife and daughter, so I knew I'd be fine.

Back at the house I breathed in the scent with a deep breath. It was a bit painful, from the air scraping the raw nerves. My breathing rasped and Alex patted my back a little. I hugged her again and walked to my and Raven's bedroom and laid down.

I felt like I was drunk. My head was buzzing so horribly I could hardly think with clarity. I turned over on my side and wondered when our next night out was. Raven came in and sat down next to me. She began to stroke my head.

"So, how're you feeling?" She asked, cautiously.

"Like Hell."

"You want me to…" She trailed off.

"No." I said, monotonously. "Do we have any Vodka?"

"Not unless there's some in your freezer." She said. I could detect no emotion in her voice. But her eyes gave her away. They were full of sadness. She thought every time I had a drink, I'd become a drinker.

"I think there is." I sighed, and I saw a little bit of fear in her eyes. She knew if I brought it out she'd finally have to drink some. Which she had vehemently refused and managed to talk me into the night out with the rest of the Titans. We had a night when we all went out and got stoned. But we did that every once in a blue moon. So no harm. However, Raven had managed not to drink upon insisting that someone had to get them home. Starfire tried it once and it didn't do anything to her until the next day.

It affected her the worst. She was at the toilet the whole day. She couldn't eat or anything. That Vodka tore her up. So Raven has company when we go to drink.

"Well can you wait until tonight? I'll see if I can convince them to have the night out. If not… I'll… I'll drink with you." She said. She looked away from me and I could tell I would be forcing her to do something she did not want to do. I couldn't do that to the woman who was the love of my life.

"If they don't want to you don't have to drink with me." I said, sitting up.

"No, I will…" She seemed lost in thought.

"Raven, I could never force you to do that. I never could and I never will be able to." I said, hugging her. We kissed. She put her head on my shoulder and I put mine on her head. We sat there awhile, until she was asleep. I was dozing myself. When she twitched, she woke me up, however. So I put her under the covers, got under them myself, and lay myself down to sleep.

/Somewhere…/

A figure stands, expressionless, impassionate, and alone, before an obelisk of great power and a colossal demon.

"So… the Sinner is dead?"

"No, my lord, he is badly wounded, but recovering. We should launch Pain now, before he recovers."

"And tell me… why is he not dead?" The colossal demon's voice thundered, and the figure before him cringed in fear.

"The clone had no silver, thus he could not defeat the Sinner." The figure explained.

"I see… next time, make sure the Sinner is dead. Hell will rule all, no matter what!" The demon thundered again. "The Sinner will fall. And all Hell will break loose."

Blink

I… what…? Where… I'm… huh? Where am I…?

I looked over to see my wife sleeping beside me. I put a hand to my forehead. My forehead was cool.

A knock sounded on the door, and Alex peeked in.

"Oh, Daddy… I thought I'd check on you and Mom. She said she was going to check on you… and she obviously hasn't returned for a while. So I thought I'd check and make sure you two hadn't…" She trailed off, one of her hands on her stomach. I sat up again.

"Alex, you're worrying about your baby too much." I began, getting up and walking towards her. "You'll be fine, don't worry."

"I know… but I just can't help it." She responded, rubbing her stomach.

"Alex, tell me something, when was the last time we did something together?"

She paused and thought about it for a minute. "I honestly don't know."

"What happened there Alex?" I asked softly. "We used to spend so much time together you were my shadow."

"I don't know Daddy. I guess I've just been caught up with VJ…"

"Having sex."

"Yeah… but… I can't help it."

"I know, Alex, I know. That's how you were conceived."

"Really?" She asked, looking at me fully for the first time. "So I was a mistake?"

"No, Alex, only the time you were conceived. We weren't ready for you when you were born. But we did plan to have you in the future, now the past."

"Oh. I planned to have kids… just didn't know it'd be this soon."

"Well, why don't we do something? To take your mind off your developing brain-damaged kid." I said, smiling.

"Bill Cosby, as Himself?" She asked.

"That's the one. The one that explains why kids act the way they do. We'll have to watch the DVD later."

"We will." She said, looking down at her stomach. "Sometimes I wonder why I was born."

I stopped walking, and turned to her. "Why?"

"Because my life seems so… complicated at times."

"Complicated how?" I asked, and I saw her cringe a little. While I was known for my sometimes explosive temper, it was when my voice was controlled that was to be feared.

"Well, you're fighting Hell's Generals. Mom's worrying over you. VJ is spending time getting ready for what Cyborg is calling the Invasion. Our wedding was forgotten. He seems to have forgotten his child as well."

"Alex, do you truly understand the magnitude of what's going on?"

"Yes, Daddy, I do."

"Then you should understand why we're preparing."

"I do, I just… wish someone'd spend some time with me."

"That's what I want to do. We could play ping-pong if you want."

"I'd love to. But don't get hellbent for leather on me." She said.

I laughed. "Just try and stop me."

We played ping-pong for a while, and then a truly humorous thought struck Alex.

"Hey Daddy… didn't mom say she was going to drink with you, since the others just had one?"

"Yeah… what about it?"

"Well… that'd be something wouldn't it?"

"Heh… it would. Think I'll go wake her up and see if she's ready now."

And, true to my word, I went and woke Raven up, and she came grumbling out of bed. She cast a bleary eye to both of us and then attempted to go back to bed. I, however, stopped her. I grinned, and so did Alex.

"Oh… no, not now…" She began, but I cut her off.

"But you promised." I said, in a whining sort of voice.

"Yes, I did, but I'm tired…" She trailed off.

"Aw, c'mon. You promised!"

She sighed. "Fine, shot for shot I suppose?"

"Yes."

"If I throw up and I remember it, I will kill you slowly and painfully." She said, glaring. Alex got the drinks, and set a shot glass in front of me and Raven. She filled mine to the brim and Raven's not all the way up.

"Why do I get special treatment?" She asked, skeptically.

"Trust me, you'll thank me after your first shot." Alex said, grinning wider than ever. Raven merely glared at her then me.

"Drink this as fast as you can. The longer you take, the worse it is." I explained. "Oh, Alex, go get me a soda and Raven some tea." Alex nodded and went to get our preferred drinks.

"Why do we need the soda and tea?" She asked.

"Trust me, after you take that first shot, everything we've been saying will make sense." I said.

"So why does Alex know all this?"

"Well… sometimes we play Hellbent for Leather. Or shot for shot as you'd call it."

"So she's drunk with you before?"

"Yeah. Anything wrong with it?"

"I just figured you wouldn't let our daughter indulge in such a distasteful activity." Alex returned with a can of cream soda and a mug of tea for Raven.

"Ready?" Alex said, still grinning. Her face is going to get stuck like that. We nodded, and she began to count. "1… 2… 3… GO!"

I put mine to my lips and tilted my head back and swallowed as fast as I could. Raven had the same idea, only she hadn't had Vodka before and it burned her throat. She desperately grabbed the mug of tea and gulped it down, without grace I might add.

"That…" She tried to say, between choking on the tea and Vodka, "was horrible!"

"Tastes as rubbing alcohol smells don't it?" I said, taking a sip of cream soda. "Remember, shot for shot, you're in this till you pass out, get drunk, or I do."

"Yeah, yeah…" She said as Alex refilled our shot glasses and began to count again. This was going to be fun. I've never seen her drunk. And what better way to spend quality time with my daughter than to get her mother and myself drunk? I ask you, can you find a better father and husband?

/End?