Apologies for the late update! Things have been a little hectic with work but now that I've got some time off for the holidays I'll try to be a little better at updating the story more frequently. Enjoy!

An hour earlier. . .

The Belfry

Dick stood in the kitchen leaning up against a counter as he was nursing a cup of coffee in his hands. Taking a sip, he looked across the room to see Barbara standing in front of her suit stand as she was just finishing getting ready to head out. She was dressed in a gold and black Privateer style suit and was readjusting the steel bracers on it, rotating her forearms to ensure they were fitting properly.

She'd volunteered to go check out the anomalous energy spikes that were coming from Arkham Asylum as him, Jason, and Tim had been busy the past few nights fighting off the League of Shadow assassins that had popping up all over the city. It was now abundantly clear to them that they'd been sent to serve as a distraction from whatever Talia was up to at the asylum.

Taking another sip of coffee, he felt a sense of unease begin to grow as he thought about what Jason had said about it being a trap. Talia had been playing them from the beginning, he wouldn't put it past her to have done this to lure them them in. Get them out of the way so she could destroy the city without their interference. She'd used them to kill Jacob Kane, what if she was using the energy spikes to draw Babs in and kill. . .

He felt a sudden tightness in his chest at the thought of anything happening to her. They'd become close again during the last two months, hard not to with all the time they spent together at the Belfry, and he'd be lying if he said it wasn't stirring up old feelings. He enjoyed teasing her with his bad puns, hearing her groans and watching as she rolled her eyes at him while trying to contain a smile. The way her face had lit up when he'd brought in those Snickerdoodles she'd loved so much the one morning. The bantering back and forth during their first aid course a few weeks back, working out together, going out on the odd patrol together. He enjoyed all of it, being with her and around her. He just wish he had the courage to. . .

"Dick?"

He jumped slightly as he suddenly found himself staring across at Babs who had made her way over to him while he'd been lost in his thoughts. About her.

She smiled up at him, her green eyes sparkling through her small cowl as he could see the freckles that dotted her face. Her reddish brown hair was done up in a half pony and he found himself struck again by how beautiful she looked.

"No. Focus Grayson."

He chided himself mentally as he ignored the flush that was creeping up his neck and gave her a weak smile back.

"Heyyy Babs." he said casually, trying to be as nonchalant as he could be about the fact that he'd just been thinking about her.

"You okay? You seem a bit jittery. You didn't get in to Tim's espresso stash did you?" she teased, looking pointedly at the cup of coffee he was holding in his hands.

"He better not have!" Tim's voice called out from above them.

He was currently up in the loft playing a video game with Jason, a car racing game that he was getting owned at, but had caught that snippet of their conversation. No one messed with his caffeine fix. No one.

"Don't worry Tim, it's safe. I've just had too much of the regular stuff, trying to prep for tonight's patrol." Dick called back.

"Too much coffee. Hah." Came Tim's reply as Dick couldn't help but smile. Kid was passing on his habit to all of them as he'd noticed his coffee intake had gone up significantly since returning to the Belfry.

"Your turn for patrol tonight?" Barbara asked as he nodded his head, grateful for Tim's interruption as it allowed him to be able to refocus now to just talking about work.

"Yeah figured with you going out to Arkham we should have at least one of us out there looking after the city. Tim and Jason could use a bit of a break, last few nights have been a bit rough. Figured they could stay back and monitor things from here with Alfred." he explained as she nodded her head.

"Good plan but you need to take care of yourself too alright? I know how you can get, too busy looking after everyone else that you neglect yourself. You need someone worrying about you too Dick Grayson." she said softly as the corner of his mouth tugged up in a smile.

"I appreciate that Babs, I do. And I am. . ." he began as he set his coffee mug down on the counter but the movement sent an aching pain through his shoulder and he couldn't help but grimace.

"You were saying?" she said, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at him accusingly.

"Okay, it's a little sore but nothing I can't mange. Took a slash to the shoulder a few days ago from an assassin but I have been icing and resting it. Alfred, help me out here?" Dick called out, looking up toward the loft to where he'd last seen him.

"Master Richard is correct Ms. Gordon. He's been a lot better at taking care of himself after being scolded once already for not doing so." Alfred's voice floated down as she looked slightly more reassured.

"See? I'm fine. Now it's my turn to be worried. You're the one heading to the abandoned asylum in the middle of the night to investigate unknown energy signals where numerous assassins could be lying in wait." he pointed out.

"As far as your inspiring speeches go Dick, have to say that's probably the worst one I've heard." she replied, trying to lighten the mood a little but he wasn't having it.

"Babs." he said, his tone a little sharper then he'd intended as the smile faded from her face and she could see the concern on his.

"I'll be careful Dick, I promise. I'll have you out there and Tim, Jason, and Alfred in here backing me if up if something happens. We need to know what Talia's up to." she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly as he let out the breath he'd been holding.

"I know. I know. It still doesn't stop me from worrying about what you're walking into. And I know you can handle yourself Babs, I do. You're one of the strongest people I know. What you've gone through the last couple of years. . .I don't know anyone else who has that kind of strength." He began as he saw a bit of colour rush to her face at the compliment.

"It's just ever since Bruce died I worry a lot more. About all of you." he admitted.

"I know every time we walk out that door there's a chance one of us might not come back but. . ." he trailed off as she could see the pain in his eyes, emotion on his face at the thought of losing any of them.

"Bruce dying made it that much more real." Barbara finished as he nodded his head.

"I get it Dick, I do. When I was Oracle that was me on a daily basis. Sitting here, watching and listening to everything unfold but being unable to do anything about it. Worrying about you, Bruce, Jason, my . . .my dad. I was helpess when Jason was killed and helpless when my dad. . ." he could hear the tremor in her voice as he knew it was still so incredibly painful for her to talk about him.

"Babs, you don't have to. . ." he began.

"No, no. It's okay.." she let out a deep breath and pushed on.

"Losing dad. . .Jason. . . .getting shot and paralyzed and being told I'd never walk again? It was. . . a lot. But what I learned over the years was having people to talk to about these things helped. As does focusing on what you can control instead of what you can't. We can't control what's going to happen to us when we walk out that door but what we can control is what we do when we walk out it which is helping people. Holding onto that, knowing the good that we are doing out there? It helps ease the anxiety a little." she said softly as he smiled at her appreciatively.

"Still so smart." he said as she broke into a grin and gave him a gentle shove.

"You know it." she replied.

"Alright, I've taken up enough of your time. Go out there and if there is something waiting for you, kick its ass." he replied as she nodded her head.

"Can do. And I meant what I said Dick, about how important it is to have people to talk to about these things. Maybe. . ." he watched curiously as she trailed off, an uncertainty filling her eyes as well as a. . . a nervousness? He hadn't seen that look from her too often.

". . .maybe we could grab drinks once this is all done?" she finished as he felt his pulse quicken slightly. Was that a date? Was she proposing they. . .no. No, she was just being a good friend and he was reading too much into all of this. Friends went for drinks all the time right? Whatever it was or wasn't, it would be nice going out and spending some time with her outside of work.

"Yeah. Yeah I'd really like that." he said as a look of relief seemed to flash across her face.

"Okay. Right then. Off I go. Have a good patrol." she said as she started backing up, getting ready to turn to head to the elevator.

"Sounds good. Be safe." he replied as she nodded and seconds later was gone, leaving him standing there with his thoughts and emotions running at a hundred miles an hour.