Barbara lay slumped over at her desk at Wayne Enterprise. Her head had been pounding since late last night due to lack of sleep and any amount of pain killers just didn't seem to be easing her pain. Bruce had minor appointments in the morning and had left the rest of the afternoon with Clark Kent who had just arrived in Gotham an hour ago. This made Barbara anxious which in turn only aided her misery.

Tim Drake sat in one of the visitor chairs in Barbara's office, anxiously tapping his foot on the carpet. The clock that hung in the long hallway seemed to be ticking as loud as thunder down the empty corridor. The silence was deafening. Barbara and Tim had not spoken to one another since Bruce tore into them the other night. But Tim could not stand the quiet rift between him and his best friend.

"Hey Babs, you gonna be alright?"

"Ugh… I hope so," Barbara muttered.

"So, you think the boss is crazy for trusting this Kent guy? I mean, he doesn't look normal."

"Tim, I have known Clark for a while now and he and his girlfriend, Lois, have been nothing but trustworthy."

"Wait. His girlfriend is in on this too? Isn't she like the head reporter of the Daily Planet or something?"

"Tim. Seriously. I am not in the mood for twenty questions right now," Barbara snapped.

"Well, I'd appreciate it if someone told me why we should trust him!" Tim growled.

Just as Barbara was about to fling a stapler across the room, a tall, broad-shouldered man appeared in the doorway. His hair was nearly jet black and he was very well groomed. He wore thick framed glasses and a well-pressed suit and tie. He shot Tim a charming smile as he ducked behind a fax machine.

"Hello, I am Clark Kent. I have an appointment with Mr. Wayne. I am with the Daily Planet. "

"Jump in line, pal," Tim scoffed.

"I am sorry, I have not had the pleasure of meeting you," Clark squinted at Tim and held out a hand.

Tim lazily took his hand and prepared for a non-committal hand shake. His eyes widened as Clark's grip nearly broke every bone in his palm. But Tim, being a victim to his own pride, barely yelped and continued to latch on to Mr. Kent's death grip.

"Pleased to meet you, Timothy."

"It's Tim. Only my girlfriends call me that," Tim smirked as he finally let go.

"Right. I am sure you have countless," Clark chuckled.

Barbara walked around the desk and met Clark with a hug. He was careful not to put as much force into the embrace as he did with Tim's handshake. She seemed even more fragile than the last time they had encountered one another. Then again, she was in her bat-suit and kicking the living hell out of Poison Ivy.

"So, Clark, are you ready?" Barbara asked breathlessly (apparently he squeezed her a little too hard despite his efforts).

"Yes, we are, Miss Gordon," Clark winked.

Barbara nodded and marched out the door and down to the first set of double doors on her left. She hesitated a moment before she knocked rapidly on the door. Bruce Wayne's figure appeared at the door as it swung open on her final attempt.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had finished your meeting already," Barbara was still flustered from last night's stern talking to.

"Barbara, relax. It's behind us. Now, let's move on to more important things," Bruce nodded as he held the door open.

Clark and Tim made their way down the hallway when Clark stopped sharply upon the arrival of an elevator. As if on instinct he smiled as the stainless steel doors slid open. There, in the door frame, was none other than Stephanie Brown and her accomplice Diana Prince. Clark nodded to Diana who gave him a warm smile in return.

Tim's attention was also turned toward the elevator but he was not as graceful on his greeting. His eyes flickered like dead headlights on a car. As soon as he lay eyes on Stephanie's profile he froze. She was even more perfect than before. Time had done her maturity justice. Her hips were curved, her hair was long and silky and her skin was as smooth as porcelain. Tim's mouth hung gaping at the woman before him.

"Breathe," Clark whispered.

"Ah, Stephanie Brown, alive and well!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Alive and in one piece," Stephanie added sarcastically.

"I am sure that Diana has informed you about the article that Mr. Kent is writing about you," Bruce smiled as he motioned to move the conversation into the office.

"Kind of, although, I'm not sure why," Stephanie shrugged.

"Forgive me, Miss Brown, I am not trying to pry into your personal life," Clark said politely.

"It's to send a message, Stephanie," Bruce added.

"What? That I am the unsinkable Stephanie Brown? Ha! I am sure that will go over well with the thugs my pops never paid off," Stephanie scoffed.

"Steph-" Barbara began to speak.

"No! Don't Steph me! You weren't there! You weren't there when I tried to stop that crazy bitch from killing my father! You and Johnny can rot in-!"

"Stephanie! Dear! Must you shout? All they are trying to do is help you! They care about you more than you know. They went to great links to find you, sweetheart," Diana interjected.

"Oh please! What? A reporter and some rich lady? You can do better than that!"

The conversation came to a halt as Jim Gordon made his way to the conference room.

"I can come back at a later time," he stammered.

"No, dad, its fine. Let's get this moving along. I'd hate to take up any more of Mr. Kent's time," Barbara glared at Stephanie.

Stephanie stuck her tongue out in response to Barbara's stern glare.

"C'mon, you guys! Don't fight! This is an exciting day!" Tim attempted.

Bruce shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"So, what does Bruce Wayne have to do with me returning back to life?" Stephanie muttered.

"Well, Miss Brown, it costs a large amount of money to bring someone back from the dead. Mr. Wayne here has covered all costs for necessary documents, recovered your old apartment, replenished the supplies in said apartment, and has offered to pay your first semester back to school," Jim said with raised eyebrows as he passed several documents over to Stephanie.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes on Bruce who merely nodded in her direction as if it cost him nothing but pennies. She thought long and hard at why Mr. Wayne would have done such a thing for her and that's when she remembered the terrible dream she had the night Black Mask abducted her.

Stephanie wondered how she would have to repay him. She knew that he would never do something this generous for free. But what if she had to pay for it with her life? What if he was bringing Spoiler back to life?

"What do you want in return?" Stephanie asked.

"I just want to show Gotham that hope can live even after we have died. I want Gotham to know that hope has a legacy," Bruce narrowed his eyes.

Stephanie knew that the meaning of his words were deeper than what was expressed. She knew that they would have this conversation in another way. Bruce's words echoed in her mind as she thought back on all the things she helped Barbara do before the night at the Mansion. She wondered if Barbara had indeed become Batgirl and Bruce was the Dark Knight. But it seems as if her questions will remain unanswered while in mixed company.

PLEASE REVIEW! - kmblackwell