Connor returned to the manor well into the night, but still early by the ordinary standards of his position that night. Ollie and he agreed criminal activity seemed low that night and he was still expected to help keep Cassandra busy as long as she was in their company. That, and he would have to soon tell her the trip had to be cut short. Work had limited his and Ollie's chance to mention it, but Bruce had made it clear he feared what lengths Lipov was prepared to go to to get Cassandra back to Gotham to settle his twisted game.

As usual, most of the lights throughout the Queen mansion were off for the night, but Connor frowned as he stepped through the front door. On the second level, in the den, it appeared, one light was still on.

In a quiet voice that could still travel, he gently called, "Hello?"

He ascended the staircase. Much of the house was still partially lit thanks to the large windows, but they all showed a blackish-blue. The den on the second floor was a pale yellow. He stepped into the den to find Cassandra seated upon a throw pillow from one of the couches in a lotus position.

"Cassandra?"

She opened her eyes and looked toward him, something like relief came over her tired face. "Hey."

Connor flinched. "Have you been up all night waiting for me?"

"Not all, some." Cassandra pushed off the ground. "Couldn't sleep. Need to go back."

"Back? You mean to Gotham?"

"He wants me." Cassandra said. "Lipov will keep hurting until he has me. Have to face him. Have to stop this."

Connor looked the weary yet exhilarated Cassandra up and down as he considered her words. "Are you feeling all right? This is a real shift from when I left."

Cassandra rubbed her forehead and clutched the elbow with her free hand. "Saw something. Did something. Saved someone." A tiny grin came across her face. "Maybe God brought me there."

"I still don't think I understand what you mean." Connor stepped closer. "What happened? Can you tell me?"

Cassandra looked up at him and set a hand on his shoulder, as he had so often done for her. "Hated myself for so long, before I believed. Then hated again. Me and others. Needed to learn to love again." She squeezed his shoulder. "You, Mia, Lian, Lupe, made me remember."

"Lupe?"

"Long story," Cassandra said. "Ran from myself, hurt people, did terrible things. Need to make it right." She bit her lower lip and looked downward. "With everyone. Including you."

"Me?" Connor's short responses were not making the matter any easier, but Cassandra accepted what had to be said.

"Connor…" She took a deep breath. No amount of repeating the words to herself mentally seemed as if they would make a difference. "I love you. Much as I can. Wanted… wanted this to work." She closed her eyes tight. "Not you. You're wonderful. Caring, sweet, kind—"

"But I'm not your type, am I?" Even a moment like the one they shared seemed to do nothing to break Connor's inner-calm. She couldn't pick up on anything in his reaction. "Because of my gender?"

"Not that," Cassandra said.

"No?"

"Wasn't ready for it to be over." It was a difficult pill for Cassandra to swallow. She almost wished Connor would sound upset, at least that would give her some sense of direction. "Still love her… Sadie."

He nodded slowly. "You know that even if you tell her that, she could still choose not to come back."

Every muscle in Cassandra's body clenched and she forced herself to match his nod. "I know. Can live with that. But has to heal before I try with anyone again." She faced him and, through the little trembles in her body, concluded, "I'm sorry, Connor."

To her surprise, Connor pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her tight and clutched the back of her head with one hand. In a mix of sadness and relief, Cassandra gently wept into his chest.

"Good answer," Connor said. "I don't know what happened, but I'm very glad it put you back on the right path."

Cassandra sniffled. "You're not mad?"

Connor stroked her hair. "To be honest, I figured you were using me as a coping mechanism from the start. I'm… really not any good when it comes to romance, but I thought another rejection would just make you even more miserable. So I played my part."

Cassandra pulled away from his chest and met his eyes with her own again. "If you were, would make someone very happy."

Connor shrugged. "Maybe I'll meet that someone someday. But if I don't, I think I'll be just fine. If you and Sadie don't work things out, give yourself some time. Be sad, mourn what was, whatever you need to do. But I hope you two do. It seemed like she made you so happy." He gave her a last pat on the shoulder.

The last tear Cassandra shed was one of gratitude. "Thank you. For everything."

"I told you before," Connor said. "I'm a Buddhist. My most important calling is to reduce suffering in the world." A small but satisfied grin crossed his lips. "I did something similar for Mia a while back, when she found it hard to love herself."

"Lucky to have you. All of us."

"You should get some rest," Connor said. 'We'll get you back to Gotham soon. I'll go with you."

Cassandra shook her head. "Not your fight."

"We heard from Bruce. Everything out there is getting more unstable. You'll need all the help you can get and Lipov won't be expecting me. Please, let me help you."

In spite of her initial refusal, she couldn't really think of any reason to resist, so she nodded slowly and, for the last time, uttered, "Thank you."

The next night Connor took Cassandra for a last trip to the Ghirardelli shop, where they each enjoyed a last sundae and she could have parting words with Lupe.

"I hope you come back someday," Lupe said. "I don't know how I can repay you for all you did for me, but maybe by then I can figure something out."

The Queen clan gathered early the following morning to see Cassandra and Connor off. Ollie wished them good luck, Dinah asked Cassandra to give her regards to Barbara next time she saw her. In spite of the aloofness that sometimes followed them, she managed to get a hug out of both Mia and Lian.

"Hit the bad guys extra hard for me, okay?" Mia said. "And stay in one peace. I wanna team up with you one of these days."

When Cassandra pulled away from the hug, she gave Mia a smile. "Take care of yourself. Feel better."

"Some days are worse than others. But I've been feeling better lately, so I'll try not to keep you waiting."

Little Lian wrapped her arms around Cassandra's waist. Despite the funny grumpiness she often showed, she said, "Bye bye 'Zandra. We'll miss you."

Cassandra tussled her hair a little. "Be good for Mia until daddy gets home. She deals with a lot already."

Much of the six and a half hour flight back to Gotham was passed by the two with sleep. Even high above the ground with the noise of the engines aboard Ollie's private jet, it was undoubtedly some of the best sleep Cassandra had had in too long.

-000-

"So sorry… to all of you. Made a mess of everything."

At four PM that evening, the tired but restless Cassandra stood in the center of the study within Wayne Manor. As a blaze roared in the fireplace and drinks of all sort sat on the chairside tables, the couches were filled to capacity by Bruce, Damian, Tim and Stephanie, while Alfred and Connor watched from the doorway. Her request to see them quickly became a demand from Bruce, as if any of them would have considered being absent anyway.

"Anger took control, took it out on all of you."

Cassandra was unsure if there had been a specific instruction that no one speak while she tried to make amends, but the most response she got was the quiet sipping of drinks.

She took a deep breath to steady herself and began. "Damian, sorry I didn't help you… wasn't a better friend. Or sister. Looked to me for help. I didn't give it."

Young Damian nodded slowly as she spoke. It was more response than she could have hoped for.

"Tim, Steph, sorry I pushed you away," she said. "Sorry I was so upset. Sorry I didn't listen when you wanted to help. Sorry I was mad at you for…." She paused to reach for words she was uncomfortable using, and eventually settled on, "Sorry I was mad at your happiness."

Tim patted Stephanie's knee and flashed her a thankful smile. Stephanie looked as if she was fighting back happy tears.

"Dad… turned on everything. What you taught me, what I believed." Cassandra cast her gaze downward. "Failed you. Failed to be an angel. I am so, so sorry."

All eyes slowly shifted to Bruce, who remained stone-faced and cross armed as she spoke. "As with your church, it isn't enough to just say you're sorry. Appeal is only the first step. The next is penance."

The sullen Cassandra nodded. "I know."

The Bat Family sat in silence for nearly a minute. No one really needed to hear Cassandra apologize when all was said and done, it was enough to know she was better. But she needed it for herself. She had to make things right again, or at least as right as she could.

"A verbal apology is only going to get us so far," Bruce said. "But there is a maniac who I have no doubt is ready to use his own underlings as suicide bombers to draw you out. I don't know what Lipov's endgame is, but I believe we might know any day now."

Cassandra nodded. "Will be ready."

"It may take every one of us to stop whatever Lipov's going to do next," Bruce said. "I don't have much choice but to let you back in the uniform at this point. Whether or not you'll be allowed to continue with it is going to depend on how you handle this situation."

The thought had crossed Cassandra's mind again and again since she had reclaimed her spirit. A plan percolated in the back of her mind, the one way she believed she could perhaps at least in part undo all of the damage she had done. But it was a risky strategy, too risky to talk about aloud. And if there was a better option, she was determined to think of it. But for the moment, she just said, "Thank you. So much."

Bruce rose from his seat and motioned to the rest. "You're all dismissed. I expect to see at least a few of you in the cave shortly."

Damian did everything in his power not to give the situation any emotion, but even he couldn't mask the tiny smile that crept across his face as he walked out. Tim and Stephanie both rose and hugged Cassandra one after the other.

"I was really hearing things second hand more than anything," Tim said. "But I'm so glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back." She squeezed Tim before she moved into an even tighter hug from Stephanie. "Thanks… never giving up on me."

"Aw come on, like you could ever be worth that," Stephanie said. "I know it hasn't been that long, but I'm glad you're home now. You really feeling that much better?"

"Much," Cassandra said. "Much better."

"… Then I've got something I feel I've got to tell you." As the two women loosened their grip on one another, Stephanie gave Cassandra a look that was at once pleased but also solemn. As if he recognized something in it. Tim stepped aside. "Is there anyone else you think you have to tell all this to?"

Cassandra sighed. "Two."

"Two people?"

She nodded. "Father Ryan and—"

"Woah, wait a minute." Tim stepped back over to the two. "The monsignor?" A frown was on his face and trouble was in his tone.

Stephanie took on the same characteristics. "Yeah, you're not serious about that, are you? You know, about where your feelings lie?"

Cassandra nodded. "Have to."

"Cassie, Father Ryan's a great guy, I believe that every bit as much as you do," Tim said. "But you know what's going to happen, don't you?"

Cassandra shut her eyes for a moment and shrugged. "Maybe not."

"I told you a year ago that he's exactly not who you want to talk to, I still mean it," Stephanie said.

"Can't live with this lie," Cassandra said. "Tired of it."

"If you're not careful about this, he might try to keep you from going back to Saint Michael's," Tim said. "I get that it's a tough thing to carry, but if you just stop it could turn out really bad for you."

"Who I am," Cassandra said. "If he can't accept it, I should know."

In desperation, Tim turned toward Stephanie, who to his surprise was nodding slowly.

"I don't know if I think this is a good idea, but it doesn't sound like we're going to talk you out of it," she said. "Hell, maybe I'd want the same thing if I was in your shoes."

Tim hesitated as he looked back and forth between the two and breathed a sigh as he looked toward his sister again. "If you're going to do it, I really pray it goes well."

"Thank you."

Silence overtook the three of them and, still stressed by the matter, Tim stepped away. When only Cassandra and Stephanie remained, the latter asked, "So the other person you wanted to talk to—"

"Do you… think she wants to?"

Stephanie smirked. "It so happens I was talking to her just the other day. Yeah, I think she'd like the chance to chat with you. Figure out where you stand, if nothing else."

"Miss me?"

"Yeah, a lot."

"Miss her too."