VIII.- I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long.
Robin was bored. Laying there, waiting for him to come... it was really, really boring.
Then the door opened and they entered the hall, looking around at the mansion walls as if they had never been there before. Silly boys...
Robin had not time for any of this, so, with a shriek, run to Tim, arms spread.
"Tim, my love!" Said Stephanie Brown as her arms folded around her long-time-no-seen boyfriend.
He gasped, surprised, and then held her so tight it nearly hurt.
"Oh my god..." He said under his breath, hiding his face in her hair-. Oh my god...
And there they stood, melted in an embrace, until someone coughed.
Stephanie blushed and stepped back. Tim gaze was upon her face, pained and miserable, while he held her arms as to be sure she was going to stay.
"Hey, if you don't let go I can't greet your friends..." She let him know.
He hesitated, but finally did, so she could face the other Robins. Dick and Jason, of course. She shook their hands while the boys looked at her amazed.
"Wow. And I though I was sexy in the costume..." Said Jason, half smile on his face. "So she is replacing you?" He added, turning to Tim. "You didn't told us you were out of the biz too."
"No... she is not... well... not anymore. She was..."
"Long story short." Said Steph. "He quit, I volunteered, but Batman finally fired me because I didn't rock like my boy here."
"I would never fire a girl like you." Said Jason.
"Thanks... I guess..." She smiled nervously to the dead-to-be Robin. "Now... if I can talk to my boyfriend privatedly..."
She took the shocked Tim by the arm as Dick and Jason nodded and walked him to the stairs, where she sat, making him sat besides her. He held her hands and her gaze, love written all over him. She caressed his face, taking his mask off. His beautiful blue eyes were full of tears that he was barely holding.
She kissed him on the cheeck.
"I know, my love. I've missed you too."
"Steph... it's..." His voice broke and she hugged him again, rocking him gently.
"It's ok. Don't cry, it's ok."
"No." He raised his head. "It's not ok. You are dead... And I miss you like hell. And I never really had time to say goodbye, time to tell you how much I cared..."
"And whose fault was it? It was my fault, Tim, not yours." She kissed him again, this time on the lips.
He half smiled, tears running down his face.
"You always knew how to kick my own crap out of me, always."
Stephanie smiled back.
"And that's why I'm here."
He looked at her and she could tell this marvelous brain of his was working again. He could not stop it, even if he tried. He needed to understand, to know, to act... Even in the most terrible pain, his brain would continue working its way through things.
"I know what you've found out there. This perfect version of your life..."
"You were not there because I should have not met you if I never..." He tried to explain, but she stopped him with a finger in his lips.
"I know, you silly. That's not what bothers me. What really bothers me is that you belive it, don't you? No matter how much you try to think about the task you are doing, you wake up every day thinking of how beautiful life would be if you were not Robin, if you had not to put the costume on and go jump and fight. But still, you don't quit."
"It's the only thing I've left..."
"I know that too, my love. And I'm so really sorry, because I was not there when you needed me most."
"What are you talking about, Steph? I was the one that was not there! You died, I was not even in the hospital to..."
He buried his face in his hands, trembling, and she stroked his thick, dark hair.
"I've thought about it, you know... about the whole Robin thing.. and the only thing I regret is that I hurt you. I wanted to hurt you back then, because I thought you were cheating on me. But it was a mistake to hurt you that way." She kissed his hair. "The whole dying thing? It does not really matter. It sucks, of course, but it won't restrain me from taking the chance again. Perhaps not as Robin, because I'm not fit, but as Spoiler..."
"Why? The thrill is not worth your life..."
"You said so just a minute ago, moron. Without Robin or Spoiler we would have never met. And you are worth any income, my love."
This time it was him who kissed her, passion and grief mixing in their embrace.
"Can I simply stay here, Steph? With you? Forever?"
"You know you can't. You have to solve this whole mess. Only you can do it, because you are Robin." She took his face with her hands. "Not choosen by anyone, not forced by destiny, but consciensly volunteer. Remember what I told you once? About you and Robin?"
"That I saved lifes... that I was doing a great thing."
"I cannot tell you it's worth the grief and the lonelyness, but I can tell you it's important."
"Anyone could be Robin..."
"No, anyone could go to the cave and put on a stupid costume... But only the real good ones can be Robin."
"And that's me?"
"That's you."
She kissed him again before standing up.
"Would you remember it?"
"Remember what?"
"What it felt to do this job knowing it was the right thing to do."
"I'll try..."
She smiled to him, turning to Dick and Jason.
"Then, pick them up and hurry to the heart."
"It's in the living room, right?"
"You already know what you are going to face. I love my brainy boyfriend."
He blushed, squeezing her hand.
"You know, I never really got to see you in the costume.. you look great."
"I know." She squeezed back. "Now you have to go. Time is running short."
"But... I'll never see you again."
"There's always a price, we like it or not."
He hugged her one last time, kissing her, holding back his tears.
"I love you, Steph."
"Then hurry."
She pushed him away and he looked at her one last time before turning and running to Jason and Dick. She knew they were asking questions he was not going to answer before they finally set to the living room, to the heart.
He was going to fight it and win, she was sure. Her boyfriend rocked like that.
She only wished his last stare had not been so full of pain.
------
---Security code aproved---
---...---
---Voice scan aproved---
---Wellcome, Master---
---/Status of subject /report.---
---Subject constants: stable---
---cerebral functions: stable---
---checking revealed:---
---subject regain normal levels---
---adrenaline levels: receeding---
---subject state: stable---
---continue?---
---/continue---