Thank you for all of the kind messages I received :) They encourage me to keep posting :)
I had writer's block and not much time to write but hopefully soon I will be able to write and post the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters
She shook her head. It was so silly to be nervous. She had stood in front of this door probably over a hundred times, but tonight she was all nerves. This was not who she was.
She was Kori Anders. An up and coming journalist who was calm and collected. She didn't know what awaited her behind those doors. This house that had so many secrets and admired by so many people was practically her second home.
She had talked to Rachel about this earlier before she headed over. Richard was her first love, and she fell so passionately for him, but he left. He had told her that he left to protect her, and she believed that, but he still left. It wasn't fair to Roy for her to drop him as soon as Richard came back to town. The past year was so hard for her. She was a shell of a person, and regardless of how it happened, it happened.
She knocked on the door, and knew that Alfred would scold her for knocking when she should just come right in.
"How are you tonight Ms. Anders?" He asked and Kori gently roller her eyes.
"I've been better. How is it here, and again call me Kori."
"Ms. Anders, it has also been better." He said with a playful grin. He led her to a living room where a fire was blazing under a large mantle. Richard was staring intently at the flames. There was a glass in his hand, which seemed to be his new normal. Kori took a moment to take him in. Her heard fluttered as she watched him. His once soft and loving face had lines of stress and anger. He had gained more strength over the last year which was noticeable through his shirt, which meant he pushed himself harder, probably too hard Kori thought. But, he was still the guy that ran into her while running, the guy that saved her from danger. As he brought the glass to his lips his eyes noticed her, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Hey, I am glad you came."
" I am still trying to figure out why I'm here." She said entering the room more.
"I just want to talk more, I want to get alright."
"Richard, we can't go back to what we were, it's been months."
He shook his head in frustration but before he could respond the door opened with Alfred informing them that Bruce and Jason were waiting for them in the dining room. They walked silently as they both made their way to their seats which were across from each other. Bruce and Kori exchanged greetings and Jason was next.
"So what's Roy doing tonight?" He asked, making Richard look down and Kori flush.
"He is most likely at work."
"Does he know that you are here?" Jason prodded with a glare from Richard.
"He does, yes." She held her head high.
"So Richard," Bruce interrupted, "I've been looking at your numbers this quarter and the Jump City branch seems to be doing well, how is your staff?"
"They are all wonderful. It was a seamless transition and the city has been responding well." His tone was the one he reserved for talking business.
" I know we talked briefly, but as Nightwing, there have been no encounters with Slade personally, well that's what you said last night."
"About that," Richard said and cleared his throat, "I never said there have been no encounters, just that there is a pattern I've been tracking." Everyone looked at him.
"What sort of pattern?" Bruce asked with a controlled and even tone.
"Just one where he shows up once a month with an ominous message, we fight, and then he leaves." Richard was very interested in his plate while he said this.
Kori's hear fell into her stomach, Jason's mouth fell open, and Bruce's face turned red.
" You were supposed to inform me if there was any contact with him," Bruce said through tight lips.
"Well about that, we weren't really communicating, so I didn't feel the need to send you any info, " Richard trailed off. Kori could see that things were going to get tense so she intervened.
"What was he saying?" She asked, Richard shifted uncomfortably.
" The first few months were taunting but an invite to go back to his lair, and the last few months he was starting to lost patience. He kept talking about a weapon and how he wanted my help with it."
"Did he mention what type of weapon?" Jason asked.
"No, just hints of how dangerous he intends it to be."
Their dinner conversation took a turn for the serious side as the men discussed what Slade could mean and how Richard could handle it. Kori sat back, amused at this. Lately she had been thinking about her life had been turning out and what roads she had traveled to get there. The men surrounding this table, and the one inside the kitchen were her family, and over the past two years had become the main focus of her life. She wasn't close with her family so this was it become to her.
After a lengthy discussion the gentlemen felt like they had a plan, and their attention went back to Kori, who was trying not to fall asleep in the chair, but failing.
" She should go home, " Jason said, " she's had a rough forty eight hours." He stood to help her up.
"I got it," Richard got to his feet quickly. Jason gave him a glare as he offered to help but Bruce cleared his throat and led Jason out of the room.
Richard gently rubbed her shoulder and she woke with a soft jump.
" Hey, it's probably time for us to get you home." They sat in silence for a moment.
"You are probably heading back tomorrow, aren't you?" She asked with a small voice, which was met with a small, but sad smile.
"I will probably head back tonight, I only stayed to spend more time with you."
"It was nice to have you back, even for a short time." She met his gaze.
"Kor, I am so sorry." He apologized for what seemed to be the hundredth time. Kori groaned.
"You keep saying that."
"And I will, until you believe me. If I could go back I would have been more honest,"
"But we can't go back."
"You keep saying that." He said, his voice getting harder, "why not? Why can't we go back to where we were? I love you, and I know that you still love me. Is it Roy, is he the reason that we can't be together, Kor he doesn't want to be with someone who doesn't want him."
"It's not that I don't want him," she shot back, "you lead a completely different life now. You live on the other side of the country, I am not going to hurt Roy to be with a man who is risking his life and has to stay there. I don't have a job, I can't move there, I would have no place to live. We have both changed over a year, we can't pretend it never happened."
"Those are all things that we can fix. I can pay for you to live out there, and you are a talented writer, you can find a job so easily." He pleaded. Tears started to fall, even though Kori tried to stop them.
"I can't." She whispered. She stood up and started to leave. Richard tried to follow but Bruce was at the door and put his hand on his shoulder.
" Let her go, you can talk to her later."
Kori arrived home to Rachel who was on the couch anxiously waiting to hear how the night had progressed. After a length conversation of Kori expressing her emotions, her empath like roommate voiced her opinion.
"You're kidding right?"
Kori shook her tear stained face while her roommate continued, "Look, I know that this year had been hard, and I know that stuff has happened, but do you remember what life was like when you two were together? You were…are, crazy about each other. You know I don't believe in grand romances, but if it does exist, you have it. What are you so afraid of?"
She wanted to respond that she was afraid of how much more danger he seemed to be in as Nightwing, and how this villain Slade seems to be indestructible, and how she couldn't be around should anything happen to him because she couldn't survive. She couldn't say any of those things so she tried to think of something to say but her thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash right outside that shook their whole apartment.