12. Simple Conversations
Summary: As the title says….people talk. (Remember to read notes for extra clarifications)
Night in Gotham City,
"He knows you are here," his usual welcoming smile is absent.
"I know," the visitor sighs. "About the other night…"
"That too."
"……"
"He doesn't go upstairs," the younger man speaks into the night.
"What? Why?" His older companion is confused.
"The mansion….he doesn't go there. Stays in the cave," A masked face turns to an unmasked one. "After the first two nights, Alfred fixed a bed in the cave."
"Why?" The question is a natural one, one whose answer the man can already guess.
"Alfred thinks….no, he knows why. He can't bear it there. Not without her."
"….."
"After they found out about her….about her situation," they are taking about the pregnancy, their voices low in the wind. "She made it a routine to come down when he got back."
The other man can only offer a sad smile at that. They too had seen the change in his still reserved, but not so distant teammate….a change that she had brought in him.
"Alfred thinks she did it because it gave them a couple of extra hours together," both men have great respect for the aging butler. "She would help him with updating the records, even taking over from Alfred for cleaning and bandaging his wounds, the ones she could manage by herself. Both of them were teaching how to handle the major ones."
--
"How is Alfred doing?" The older man questions.
"He's fine…as fine as can be," a shake and a hung head reveals the truth. "He showed us the nursery they were working on."
"Nursery?"
"Yeah. They started it a month ago. Each night….well morning, after he would finish with his work, they would spend an hour or so working on it. You should see it. Its beautiful, got Diana's presence all over it. They've got two of everything."
"Why two…?" The question stops midway as the visitor remembered that they had decided not to find out the sex of the children. They wanted to surprised. 'The Batman wanting to be surprised.' Had it been any other situation and time, he might have laughed at it…..but not now.
"If it turned out as two boys or two girls, they would give the other set to charity….and if one of each…well you get the idea."
"Yes."
--
"That's the reason he can't go up there," the boy knows his father. "He misses that time. Staying down and away from it….its his way of…."
"Avoiding it." The friend supplies, getting a nod as confirmation.
"Nightwing….Dick," the red and blue of the other man are prominent, standing out…especially in Gotham's dark. "Do you think he's…?"
"Yes," the word obsessing does not even need to be mentioned. "But I…we agree with him, support him. We have to. He hasn't taught us any different."
"Has he….have you found anything?" That question comes out on his own.
"No, but we aren't giving up. We still haven't run out of options."
"Care to clue me in?" The man of steel knows what the answer is going to be.
"You'd have to ask him about that," and there, a polite, roundabout but firm NO. 'Like father, like son.'
--
"I've got to go," the blue and black clad figure reaches for his grapple. "I suggest you leave too."
"Yes I guess so."
There are no jokes passed between the two, only a muffled sound of the grapple firing, followed by swoosh in the air currents and the younger man is gone.
"Thanks Clark."
"Thanks Dick."
-------
-------
A few blocks away,
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Where were you?"
"Had work."
"Done?"
"Ummm-Hmmm."
"Wanna kiss?"
"Later."
"You ok?"
"Ummm-hmmm"
"I get worried."
"Ummm-hmm."
"I miss seeing you."
"Ummm-hmm."
"Talking to you."
"Ummm-hmmm."
--
She frowns.
"I'm leaving."
"Ummm-hmmm."
"Idiot."
"Umm-hmmm."
"Jackass."
"Umm-hmmm."
---
"Are you even listening to me?" her voice raises in volume, sounding clearly in the silent night.
"You said something?" The purple clad figure yanks off her full-face black mask.
"Ok, that's it," the mask gone, a beautiful young face comes into view, the blond hair cradling it tied with a band. "What's wrong with you?"
"What do you mean?" The boy tries to feign ignorance. He has been distracted and knows that he's been caught.
"You are not here," the girl's worry is clear. "You are distracted. What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he lies.
"Don't nothing me buster. I might not know your real name but I know it when you are distracted…and you ARE distracted."
"Spoiler…Steph…."
"Robin," she can only say his codename, because that is all she knows.
"Nothing's the matter okay, so stop pushing it." He loses it, instantly regretting it.
"…."
--
"Steph…Stephanie…"
"…."
"I am sorry okay. Things have just been….please, sorry….please."
"Okay," she nods and leans against it.
--
"I know it not only you."
"What do you mean?"
"Its HIM, isn't it?" He knows who she is talking about.
"What do you mean?"
"Its out on the street….everyone's scared. They say he's gone crazy."
"….." (Silence)
"I am right, aren't I?"
"….." (Silence followed by a nod)
"What happened?"
"…." He can't tell her.
--
"Ok, don't tell me," she feels hurt. "Its not like I am a member of your hi-fi Batman approved team."
"Spoiler….Please, try to understand."
"Why should I understand? You disappear for three days, without telling me, without even a phone call. He is beating up people. Ok, agreed, they are all bad ones and maybe even deserve it, but even after they surrender. What's the use of that? Now you come back, completely lost, you mind somewhere else. What do you want me to do….understand? Well I can't."
"…." He knows she is right….about everything.
"I worry about you," her voice cracks. "I worry that I might lose you and that scares me…scares me a lot."
"Steph," he draws her closer, his arms going around him. He's seen how Batman has been these last few days, and he understands her fear. "I'm sorry."
--
"Hey," he draws back and looks deep into her eyes.
"Sorry," she sniffles and wipes away her tears.
"Its later."
"Huh," she is confused now. "Later?"
"Wanna kiss?" His heart jumps at the smile that lights up her face.
"Sure."
--
They lean forward, they lips almost touching each other's, when a female voice sounds in his communicator.
"Fire at 10th and Jane," its her, Oracle.
--
"I got it," his response is instant. He looks back at her. "Rain check?"
"No way buster," she steals a quick one and grabs her mask. "Now rain check."
Within seconds, they are off, swinging away into the dark night.
-----
At the same time, in another reality,
"Miss," lost in her thoughts, she missed his entrance.
"Yes Alfred."
"Did you require some assistance?" His eyes take in everything…her slightly rounded pregnant belly, the lost look in her eyes, the fact that she is standing in front of the grandfather clock….has been for the last fifteen minutes.
"No Alfred."
"Miss…" he wants to ask what is troubling her, but he can already guess it….and he would be correct.
"I miss him."
"I-I'm sorry miss," that's all he can say.
"Its not your fault Alfred," she smiles at him. "Just the fates."
--
"Can I offer you something?" She has a voracious diet, eating for three. "Some milk perhaps."
"Thank you Alfred," she declines graciously.
"Miss. If you don't mind my asking. I noticed that every night, you come to the clock, spend some time here and then return to your room…."
"It's a habit….a new one." She tells him about her the time she spends in the cave.
"If you wish, I could open it for you?" He offers, trying to do the best he can.
"No," she declines. "It would not be the same. I know it has everything as the other one….but yet…"
"I understand madam."
--
They fall silent….until….
"Thank you Alfred," she sighs and turns towards away from the clock.
"My pleasure miss," he nods, his wizened eyes following the ghost-quiet beauty gliding down the hall.
'Good night child,' his eyes close in a silent prayer. 'Hope you regain your lost happiness….your family.'
Note: Well, this chapter was to get a few things together and to introduce yet another difference in the animated world I am using and the animated world as shown in the series.
Don't know if the Spoiler exists in theAnimated universe, (don't remember seeing her), but seeing that I like the character, I decided to put her there, placing her opposite Robin (as in the comic universe)
The next chapter will a normal one, with picking up from where the previous chapter left off. Dick and his reaction at the twin Wonder Women.
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