Talia al Ghul had never felt this kind of excitement.
As she began packing what little she owned in to a small, cloth sack, she noticed the way her hands trembled. She was not scared, though. No, this trembling was caused by pure elation.
For the first time in her life, she was the one in control. She had not chosen to be born in The Pit, or to become an heiress to a covert ninja faction hell bent on bring justice to the world. No, these things she had really had no say in, but this, leaving the temple with Bane, was all her decision.
She felt giddy as she wrapped her blankets into small parcels to carry over her shoulders. She was ready, more than ready, to get a real taste of freedom. She did not know where they were going, but then again, she did not even care.
The small knock on her door tore her from her excited daydreams and back in to a feeling of terror. Thinking quickly, she threw the satchel containing all her belongings under her pillow, desperately trying to make it appear that she was not preparing to run. Smoothing her wrinkled clothing, she sucked in a deep breath as she opened the door.
The doctor was the last person she expected to see on the other side. He smiled warmly at her, and at the sight of his gentle greeting, she felt her shoulders lose their tense posture.
"May I come in?" he asked her quietly. She nodded, curious, as she stepped aside to let him in.
The doctor waited until she has shut the door to turn around and make eye contact with her. He was a short man, just slightly taller than Talia herself. She looked at him straight on for possibly the first time since her arrival, and she finds that he looks older than the first time they met.
Her eyebrows rise as he reaches into the folds of his robe and withdraws a small, brown sack. With a smile, he hands it to her and begins to move toward the door.
"Wait." Talia calls after him as his hand reaches the door knob. "What is this?"
"Those, my dear, are the vials needed to keep your friend's mask operational. If I'm not mistaken, there is enough in there for a year or more."
Talia is stunned, scared. "I…I don't understand." She falters, trying to appear innocent.
The doctor smiles back to her while opening the door.
"I wish you well, young Talia."
It is nightfall when they make their escape.
Bane cannot believe that they were able to make it out of the temple without any incident. He had figured at least one or two of Ra's al Ghul's men would try to stop them, but he and Talia had made it out in to the snowy night unharmed. It is cold, and he keeps sending little glances to the girl walking next to him. He would shrug off his leather coat for her in an instant. Talia seems to know this, and she focuses on keeping her teeth from clacking together. Even with the cold biting at what skin she has exposed, she cannot stop smiling.
The future was bright.
By morning, they have made it to the base of the mountain. The pair had traveled all night, and Bane thought they had made excellent progress. It is much warmer at the base, but a chill still hangs in the air.
"We better rest." He tells Talia, as he leads her to a large rock jutting from the ground. There, they make a fire and huddle around it.
"Where shall we go from here?" She asks him, her shoulder leaning against his as they rest. She suppresses a yawn and she can tell the act makes him smile.
"There is a city, miles from this place. We will go there, where no one will know us. We can acquire a vehicle from the small town over there." He motions with his hand to the west, and she sees the dim glow of lights. She knows she is tired, because this is the first she has noticed them.
"Sleep now, angel. We have much traveling left to do."
Talia turns to face him and leans her head on his broad arm. He throws the blanket he brought around her, and cannot help but feel the nostalgia creep up on him. When was the last time they had experienced this; the two of them, sleeping on a rock, yet somehow utterly comfortable?
Bane feels a tightening in his chest. Talia is at his side once again, and everything in the world is right.
The vehicle had been easy to steal; carelessly parked behind some kind of official building with the keys sloppily hid in the ashtray. By the next night they are on their way to a city bigger than any Talia has ever seen.
As she lets her arm stick out of the side of the military jeep, she cannot help but smile blissfully. Bane has promised to allow her to drive, and she is thrilled. Driving? What's next!
"Are you ready?" he asks her out of the blue, and she jerks her head away from the moon lit landscape to look at him. He is definitely smiling, and seeing his eyes look so carefree makes her beam back.
"Born ready." She answers haughtily, and the muffled sound of a chuckle meets her ears.
The jeep slows to a stop and Bane opens the driver's door and heads to the passenger side. Talia quickly scoots over to the driver's seat. Her hands grasp the wheel and she runs them over the worn leather cover, still warm from where Bane's hands had been moments ago. A twinge of nervousness passes through her but she roughly throws the emotion aside. She will not allow such a feeling to ruin this for her.
"The truck is in neutral now." Bane begins, motioning to the gear shift. "You have to put it in gear to get it to move."
Talia's small hand reaches for the knob and her teacher immediately grabs it. Her face heats up as his large, warm hand envelops hers. She'd never realized just how warm he was.
"I guess I should explain some more first." He says, letting her hand go and adverting his eyes, seemingly embarrassed.
"The peddle on the far left, no not that one, that's the brake, the far left, that's your clutch. You have to press it down before you can put the truck in gear. Then, you have to let it out very slowly and give it some gas with the far right one, the one to the right of the brake, yes, good."
Talia's booted foot presses the peddle to the floor and her hand is on the gear shift again. She looks at him with questioning eyes.
"Where do I put the gear shift?" she asks.
"Pull it towards you, just like that, now towards the back of the cab."
Talia's knitted eyebrows relax as she feels the truck slide into gear. Slowly, she releases the peddle, and the jeep glides forward. Suddenly, it jumps, throwing Talia in her seat. Her foot reaches for the clutch and she pushes it down as fast as she can. Bane is laughing loudly now.
"I said slow!" he manages between gasps. Talia glares at him.
It takes her two more tries, but finally the jeep is rolling down the road. She finds up shifting much easier than starting, and smiles widely at Bane in triumph.
"You are a natural, angel." He compliments, as she sets her eyes on the road ahead. The moment catches Bane off guard and he is staring at her before he realizes it. From where he is sitting, he can just see the side of her face. She is smiling, and her eyes seem so bright as she watches the horizon. The moon splashes just the right amount of light on her soft features, and he is positive that there is not a more beautiful woman in the world.
"Bane?" her nervous voice shakes him and he swallows a lump in his throat. His eyes meet hers as she glances at him while still trying to watch the road.
"Thank you."
By the time they reach the outskirts of the city, Talia's driving has improved dramatically. Bane explains that she needs to be able to operate a vehicle; if something where to happen where she would need to escape, a vehicle would be her best mode of transportation.
He has her pull over before they enter the city limits, and they switch places once again.
As Talia situates herself in the passenger seat, Bane reaches into his bag and removes two shawls.
"Here, wrap this around your face and head." He instructs, handing her the garment. The girl's nose scrunches in dislike as she takes the cloth.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, in this region, women do not show their faces." She sighs heavily as she begins wrapping the offending piece of fabric around her head.
"Don't worry, I will be wearing one, too." He assures her, wrapping his shawl around himself. He shakes his head as she continues to fuss with hers.
"We are going to have to find a place to stay first." Bane begins, while securing the shawl in place. He checks in the rearview mirror to assure it hides the majority of his mask. Only a thick black square is visible between his eyes. He hopes inwardly that it won't attract attention.
"I'm afraid I don't have much money." He confesses, sheepishly glancing towards Talia, who is still struggling with the shawl. He reaches over and finishes securing it for her.
"That's not a problem." She says nonchalantly, and at Bane's questioning look she reaches into her bag. She pulls out a large stack of bills.
"Talia…how?" Bane is flabbergasted. Talia giggles at his reaction as she sets it in his hand.
"I figured it would only be proper if my father gave us a…going away present." Her eyes are full of mischief and he imagines she is smirking underneath that shawl.
"You little thief…" She is laughing now, so hard tears stream down her eyes. Bane eyes the money in his hand. Thief or not, she just made their start in this city much easier.
"Back to business." He tells her, after her laughter has calmed. "You will be doing all the talking."
"What?" The smile is off her face in an instant and she turns to face him, eyes wide.
"People will be suspicious if they hear how my voice sounds." He can't look at her as he talks. "You will tell anyone who asks that I was in an accident that rendered me mute. When we are in the city, you will refer to me as your brother, Nizar. You will be Hasna."
Talia can't help but blush.
Hasna, she knows, means beautiful.
The city was a buzz of action. There were people crowding the streets; buying, selling trading. Small cars attempted to merge with the constant flow of pedestrians. Talia found herself pressing closer to Bane with each step. She was not used to such activity, and the sight of it unnerved her. She scowled to herself under shawl. She hoped she could get used to this place.
Bane led them deeper into the city, keeping a close eye on Talia. If he lost sight of her even for an instant, he doubted that he would be able to find her again in this sea of people.
After half an hour of muddling their way through the crowded business district, they found themselves out of the crowds and in to the quieter section that held housing. Talia could see the large business buildings in the distance and they fascinated her. How had she not realized all this was here?
A tug on her arm brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked over to see Bane pointing at a building. 'Rooms for Rent' the bright, red banner read. He lead her to the entrance and they made their way inside.
A short, balding man sat at the desk, scratchily writing on a yellow tablet. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.
"May I help you?" he asked in accented English. Talia smiled warmly and hoped it met her eyes.
"We would like to rent an room." She stated. The man's eyebrows knitted together and he sent a confused glance between Bane and Talia. Anger coursed through her. Bane had told her it was uncommon for a woman to speak for a man, and that people would most likely be confused at first when she spoke instead of him.
"My name is Hasna." She tried again, keeping her tone even. "My…"
Talia froze. Bane had told her to say brother, but suddenly, the word would not leave her mouth. Say it! She screamed inwardly. What is your problem? A cold sweat broke out on the back of her hands as she clasp them in front of her. The man was looking at her very strangely now, and Bane, too, was giving her a concerned look.
Realizing she could possibly blow their cover, Talia coughed delicately into her fisted hand to disguise her inner peril.
"I apologize, sir. My husband cannot speak; he was in an accident that took away his speech."
Husband?! Talia kept her face stoic as her conscious screamed at her. You can't say brother but you can say husband?!
She dare not look at Bane, and if she had, she may have noticed the slight twitch jump at his right eye. He struggled to keep his eyes from showing any emotion. Talia had just called him her husband. He knew he had told her to say brother, not husband. What did this mean? Why had she said that?
The man, oblivious to both of their inner arguments, gave an apologetic smile.
"I am very sorry, I was not aware." He said gently, smiling at Bane. Bane nodded numbly in response, his mind miles away.
"I have a one bedroom flat that just became available, fully furnished, if you are interested?" he continued, turning away to grab a key off of the wall behind him. "Here, let me show you."
As they made their way out of the office, Talia purposely did not look Bane in the eyes. Secretly she was afraid of what she would see. If he looked angry for her verbal slip, she was not sure how she would take it.
The flat the landlord showed them was, in her opinion, perfect.
It was small, yes, but homey. There was a living room, a dining room, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. What more could they possibly want?
"We'll take it." She said happily, shaking hands with the man. She noticed the way he looked at her hand suspiciously, and wondered what exactly he was looking for.
"Husband?"
Bane could not stop himself as he shut the door securely behind them as they entered their new home. Talia kept her back to him, fiddling with the faucet on the sink. To her relief, water poured from it.
"I did not think brother was convincing enough." She said softly. "You said I had to do all the talking. I simply said what I thought was best."
Bane seemed to accept her answer, for he left her to play with the kitchen sink. She sighed roughly as she turned the faucet off.
Why had she said husband?
She tossed her bag onto the chair of the two sitting dining room table and looked out the window at the sun fading across the horizon.
She had noticed a change in their…relationship, if you could call it that. To her, it seemed like the looks lasted longer, the talks were more in depth, and at the slightest bit of contact her stomach was in a frenzy. Talia, who had never had a crush, or been around girls to know what one was, was utterly baffled by the strange feelings she was experiencing.
She had known Bane her entire life. He had saved her, and made a life altering sacrifice for her. He was her best friend, her mentor, her protector. Why now was she finding herself feeling uneasy around him?
The man in question came back from inspecting the bedroom and walked past her to the door.
"Come on, wife, we have supplies to gather."
So, I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter...but I really wanted to get it up! I am determined to finish this story, and hope there are still some people who haven't lost interest! Read and review please
