Clara's POV

We got back to the Cave around nine o'clock, and I helped Jessie back to her room.

"Can we trust you not to run away this time?" I asked jokingly, leaning against the doorframe.

"I'll be fine," she said. Her words were clipped. "I know that you can help me better than Patty can."

"Jessie."

She turned around to look at me.

"If you ever need me, I will always be here for you. My room is just down the hall."

She nodded and I left, making sure to close the door behind me. We had recently installed security cameras in her room, deciding that it was best for her. I still wasn't so sure.

I stumbled into my room, searching for something more comfortable to wear. I pulled on a t-shirt and shorts, and laid down on my bed, trying to sleep. I stared holes into the ceiling, and I knew that I wouldn't be spending the night here.

Night Wing's POV

With Batman busy installing new cameras in Jessie's room, it gave me time to take down the one in my room. He didn't have to know every single little detail about my life. Or Clara's. I knew that privacy was the most important thing to her. Which was why there were no cameras in her room, either.

I took my shirt off and picked up the remote, flipping through channels on the television, but I couldn't focus on the words flashing across the screen. All I could think about was Clara. About last night and about her nightmares. About the hopelessness I'd felt when she died. Was that what it was going to be like if I broke things off with her?

Batman's order was still running through my mind when I heard a small knock at the door. I knew it was Clara. She eased the door open softly, standing there in a t-shirt and shorts, like yesterday. I noticed it was my shirt and remembered the wardrobe I'd made for her when she joined.

"Hey."

"Hi." She walked to the side of the bed that was unoccupied and crawled in. The heat from her body quickly filled the space. She glanced at the television.

"What were you watching?"

I grinned at her. "I was looking for something we could watch together."

She laughed. "Please. They won't have anything good on this guide." She grabbed the remote from my hand and pressed a few buttons. Then she turned the television on and off. The channel list had completely changed. It was all movies.

I laughed. "How did you do that?"

She grinned and nestled closer to me. "My mom taught me." The smile disappeared from her face.

I wrapped my arm around her. "Hey. It's okay."

She twisted to look at me. "No, it's not." She sighed and laid back down. "I have to tell you something."

I gulped nervously, searching through my memory of the past five minutes to see if I'd said anything wrong. I came up empty-handed, and that made me even more nervous. I didn't know what to brace myself for.

"You really want to know what happened in the past few years?"

I nodded slowly. She sighed. "I told you about Amelia, right?" I nodded again. "She was... she was an assassin. For the League of Shadows." She twisted to look at me again.

"I know," I said evenly. I had been suspecting this for a while. It explained how she was so strong and powerful. How she had been able to beat Black Canary so easily. That was why she didn't want to join the Team; she was afraid they would find out.

Her mouth dropped open. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Your fighting style is similar to those of popular assassins in the Shadows. And Amelia was in all the headlines a couple years ago. Batman never seemed to be able to catch her. Then she disappeared."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly. "So you've known this entire time? And you didn't... you didn't care?" Her voice cracked.

"Of course not, you idiot." I kissed her on the forehead. "That's who you were, not who you are."

I placed a hand against her cheek, but she pushed it away. "I'm not done," she whispered. "When my father captured everybody, it wasn't to keep and interrogate us. It was the Shadows pulling strings, telling me... telling me that they know where I am. Same with the man who stuck needles in us." She sighed and ran a hand over her face. "They know where I am," she repeated. "I'm putting all of you in danger by being here." She paused, and I tried to speak, but she cut me off. "I have to leave. It's not safe for you anymore." She reached out and gently brushed my forehead with her fingers, then pulled her hand away.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Wait. Slow down." I took her hand. "No one is going anywhere."

"Dick I-"

"No. Clara, is this... part of why you have nightmares?"

She bit the inside of her cheek. "Yes. Not only did they train me physically, but psychologically. They trained me to withstand torture. To not show any emotion. Long after I left them, the memories still stayed with me. It's not fair that Amanda gets her trauma erased. She doesn't have to relive the torture again, and again, and again. It's not fair!"

She pressed her face against my chest. I pulled her closer and brushed the knots out of her hair. "Do you know why her memories of the flashback were erased?" I paused before continuing. "It's because she's not nearly as strong as you," I said softly.

"I don't want to be strong anymore," she whispered. "I just want to be normal."

I sighed, a million thoughts turning over in my head. "I love you, Clara," I mumbled against her hair. Her arms tightened around me and her nails dug slightly into my back.

"Dick?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I- um... I l-love you too."

Eventually, her breathing slowed down and she fell asleep. I stared at the ceiling, thinking about our conversation. Batman's order cast dread over my thoughts. I couldn't do that. To her. To me. I brushed my hands through her hair and tried to fall asleep.