A/N:Two words on the portrait drawn by Martha Wayne are most puzzling. What do they mean? Sammie is in her sixth month of pregnancy and she suddenly comes down with a mysterious illness. Tim is with the Titans talking to new recruits, and one of them is from a far different place. Does he hold the key to Samantha's mysterious illness?
Neptune's Daughter
By
Part 8: In Sickness and In Health
Tim Drake-Wayne-Grayson was alarmed. "Is she . . . "
"My apologies Master Timothy," Alfred stated. "I did not mean to alarm you, but without knowing what the illness is, we can only hope she recovers on her own."
Tim squeezed Samantha's hand. 'But, what if she doesn't. I'll lose all three.' Tim did not voice that concern out loud. He didn't even voice it to Samantha. He didn't want to worry her.
Damian came running up the steps. He dashed throughout the manor, searching for the one person he knew would want to know the secret of those faded words. He had unlocked their secret, now he had to share them. Perhaps, he could unravel this growing mystery.
Damian rushed to the second floor and down the hall toward the bedrooms. He saw that Samantha's door was open and he rushed into the room without thinking.
"I know what those words are!" Damian was brought up short when he saw Alfred and Tim hovering over a prone Samantha on the bed. "What's going on?" he questioned.
"Samantha's sick," Tim said.
"What?" Damian was alarmed by that. "How? She was fine the other day."
"We do not know what is causing the affliction, Master Damian," Alfred replied.
Damian frowned. "This is somehow your fault, Drake!"
"My fault, how is getting sick by an unknown disease my fault?"
"I don't know, but it's got to be. If she dies, I'll hate you forever."
Tim's face paled.
"Master Damian, that was uncalled for," Alfred chided the boy. "Can you not see that Master Timothy is just as upset as you are?"
Damian grumbled to himself. He'd been spending a great deal of time with Samantha since Tim had been with the Titans. Sasha and Samantha had resumed with wedding plans, this time with Samantha in mind. It was no secret that Tim was going to marry Samantha Clark. They had set a date for the following month. All Samantha had to do was get well.
"There's got to be something we can do," Damian asked after a few minutes.
"Raven," Tim suddenly said.
"Who?"
"Raven from the Titans. She might be able to help."
"Well, just don't sit there Drake, get her!"
Tim rushed out not from Damian's demand, but from his own sense of need. Tim didn't want to lose Samantha or his twins either. It was time he did something about it. Tim rushed through the manor not stopping as Jason spotted him.
"Where you going Replacement, haven't seen you in a month."
"Samantha's sick, no time to chat. Or don't you remember, I pounded on your door earlier and you slammed it in my face."
"My twins were napping, you could have woken them up!" Jason snapped back.
"She's really sick, Jason. I wanted help!"
It finally dawned on Jason when he saw the look on Tim's face. 'Samantha was really sick? How did that happen?' Jason shrugged his shoulders. "Well, um, I can't do anything about it."
"I know, that's why I'm going for Raven."
Seeing Tim reminded Jason that he somehow botched the sibling test. Did it really matter that he and Tim weren't really blood siblings after all? Even so, the idea of being a half-brother to the demon spawn didn't really appeal to him. Hearing that Samantha was sick did make him wonder. He was going to ask Tim what she was sick with, if only to make sure Sasha stayed away from her. It could be contagious. He looked up only to find that Tim was gone.
TJTJTJ
Tim raced back down to the clock and returned to the cave. He then went over to the zeta tube and returned to Titan's Tower. He remained in his civilian clothes. He didn't take the time to grab a mask, but put on a pair of sunglasses instead. They at least hid his eyes and part of his face. He wasn't ready to reveal his identity to Bunker, even though Raven and the rest knew the person behind the mask. Bunker came on a little strong. It was sometimes unnerving. Conner could be the same way. Tim just brushed him off. There were circumstances in his past he would rather not have to explain. Better to keep them both at a distance and not get hurt. There might be some misunderstandings, but it wasn't what they might think, and he wasn't ready to talk about it. As Tim exited the zeta tube, he ran smack into the very person he didn't really want to meet right now.
"Red, you are back," Bunker smiled with anticipation.
"I need to speak to Raven," Tim said, all business.
"She's with Kaldur, showing him the place," Bunker stated. "I do not know why. You don't need him when you have me."
"You don't decide that," Tim growled. "Where exactly are they?"
"They took the elevator down below."
"Who is Kaldor?" Tim asked.
"They went to the arboretum," Cyborg stated as he approached the pair. It looks like we've got a replacement for Garth, and I don't mean Logan."
"Did someone mention my name? Hey Red."
"I need to speak with Raven," Red Robin stated. "I'll talk to you later." Bunker was going to need a few lessons in hiring practices. This wasn't a closed club, but neither was it just open for anyone. It wasn't his decision to make. Red Robin headed to the elevator.
Bunker smirked as he watched Red Robin take the elevator to the lower levels.
Once Red Robin got to the bottom, he turned left and walked through an underground hall of large statues of former fallen Titans. It hadn't been that long ago where he and Jason fought down here. He entered the glass doors at the end of the hallway. They led to the arboretum that Starfire started. It contained plants of all varieties, some from her native Tamara, and others from all over the galaxy. Many of them contained medicinal properties. Could one hold the cure for Samantha's illness? They won't know that until they figure out just what kind of illness Samantha had.
Red Robin walked through the arboretum and spotted Raven talking with a dark skinned, teen with blond cropped hair. He had markings on his arms. They were unusual.
"Raven," Red Robin called out. Both beings turned to look in his direction.
"Red Robin," Raven knew better than to reveal Tim's identity in front of a stranger. "This is Kaldur. He is from Atlantis. He is here to replace Aqualad.
"He calls himself Tempest." Kaldur stated. Kaldur held out his hand.
Red Robin took it and felt the strong grip in his hand and the difference in their body temperatures. "Kaldur, good to have you aboard. Raven, I need your assistance. There's someone who needs your healing touch."
"I am an empath, Red Robin. I know very little when it comes to healing the human body."
"What's wrong with this person?" Kaldur asked, intrigued. "And why can't Raven heal them?"
"She's sick. She's got white spots all over her arms. She's running a fever, too."
Keldur's eyes went wide. The disease sounded familiar. He's seen it several times with his people. It was an epidemic at one time, wiping out a third of the population of Atlantis. How could a human woman contract it? "I might know about this disease you speak of."
"You might?" Red Robin queried.
"Yes. My people carry on them at all times the means to cure it if they come across it. It is highly contagious among my people. I would like to see this woman to know whether it is the disease you speak of."
Red Robin wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal who he was to this new Aqualad. He hadn't revealed who he was to Bunker and Bunker was being a little too pushy about it. Even so, it might mean the difference between life and death for not only Samantha, but his twins.
"Where is this woman?" Kaldur asked.
Red Robin sighed. "She's living in my home."
"Take me there."
"It's complicated," Red Robin stated. "You need to swear not to reveal the identity of the people involved."
"The only two people know I am here is Tempest and the King of Atlantis. I can keep a secret."
"All right, come with me," Red Robin stated and he led Kaldur back up to the main level of Titan's Tower and to the zeta tube.
Continues with Part 9