Chapter 7

The next week wasn't pretty. She didn't shower. Didn't talk. Didn't move really. Barbara stared at the balcony for longer and longer stretches of time, trying to decide. Bruce had been in her room waiting for her wake up until he got a call that Tim was in trouble. He had apparently told Diana to keep Barbara on the Watchtower until he could see her. Barb had been less than impressed. Too little, too late as the saying went.

Zatanna had been perfectly eager to send Barb back home as soon as she could stand to move. Maybe it was guilt, maybe she was just a really nice person-Barb couldn't find it in herself to care at the moment.

It was Dick who finally let himself in. His nose wrinkled at the smell and the dirty dishes everywhere. Barb didn't even notice anymore.

"I've got an idea," he told her. She ignored him. "I'm going to throw you into a Lazarus pit."

That got her attention. But only because it was ridiculous.

"Dick, even for you, that's a terrible idea," Barb mocked him.

"Think about it," he persisted. "They keep Ra's young and healthy, why couldn't it work for you?"

"They also keep him crazy," Barb pointed out. "I think I've got a big enough helping of that already."

"If it doesn't work I could, we could, I would take care of it," he finally finished.

Barb held is gaze for a good long time at that.

"Would you take care of it?" she asked him seriously.

"I would," he told her gravely.

"I can't ask you to do that," she said shaking her head.

"Barb-"

"No," she cut him off. "Would you let me take care of it? Unless I'm…incapacitated. If you do it, anything else would destroy you."

"I'm not going to watch you hurt yourself," Dick told her.

"Does Bruce know?"

"No." Dick's face darkened, going stony at her question.

"What happened, Dick." It wasn't a question.

"We fought."

"You always fight. What happened?"

"I-" Dick paused, staring at the ceiling over her head. "I was inappropriate."

"And?" she prompted.

"And he hit me."

"WHAT?"

"We were both wrong Barb," he placated her. "I'll forgive him, we'll forgive each other. I just need some time."

"You think I'm worried about him forgiving you right now?" she screamed. "How could he do that? That is so not okay. If I ever get my legs back I'm going to kick him so hard he never has to worry about children again!"

Dick winced at that, even as he smiled. "We all know he deserves it, but I was out of line too. And I'm a grown man. And it's not like Bruce is actually my father."

"And nothing," Barb stopped him. "Holy shit I'm gonna kick his ass. That's…I can't….this is….aaah!" Her frustration with Bruce, with her legs, it was too much.

"He's really torn up about you Barb," Dick said softly, squatting down to eye level. "Really torn up."

Barb turned away, but not before her eyes welled. "We're going to try this. And you're going to let me take care of it, if things don't work out and screw Bruce."

"Okay."

"Do you even know where one is?" Barb asked him.

"Yeah," Dick answered as he walked into her bedroom. "But first let me get a change of clothes. Hopefully you won't stink so much when this is done."

"I'll kick your ass too Grayson," she warned him. "Your ass too." Dick didn't even have the good grace to look scared when he came back into the living room.

Dick had "liberated" the Batjet and somehow managed to get her loaded up. They were obviously headed out of the country, but Barb wasn't concerned. There was a very good chance these were the last hours of her life.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"Greenland," he told her through the headset. "There were rumors of a magical cave."

"Why do you think this cave is a Lazarus Pit?" Barb asked skeptically.

"Because a man matching Ra's description is foretold to possess eternal life in the cave."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Dick laughed. "It won't be long. With these engines we should be there fairly soon."

In an hour or two they were over land again, and Dick set them down next to what looked like the Lonely Mountain.

"Are we worried about Smaug?" she teased.

"Air pollution is really low here," Dick answered her.

"Why am I friends with you," Barb sighed.

"Come on Babs," Dick laughed as he lifted her out of the jet. "Let's go get you healed."

"I'm going to come out of that thing a lunatic," Barb told him.

"Well, I probably won't notice the change," Dick said with a straight face.

"My boot. Your ass Grayson. They've got a date."