Chapter 2:Shattered Glass

The nurse showed Dick the way to Hayley. She stood between the many taken chairs, biting her nails. Her face looked worried and her eyes were red. On her face were some red scratches and her clothes were torn. Her arms were covered with bandages from the palms of her hand to her elbows. Hayley had used her arms to shield herself from all the glass when the Theatre exploded. Dick had come as quick as he could after he did his thing as Nightwing. Batman was still chasing the terrorists who blew up the Theatre. Carefully he made his way through all the running and wounded people and reached Hayley. She did not even notice he stood next to her. He laid his hand on her shoulder and immediately she turned around. She looked so scared. Dick swallowed, not knowing what to say. Hayley did now care about anything or anyone and just pressed herself against Dick. Laying her head against his shoulder. Dick laid her arms around her and let Hayley cry for a while.
'I'm sorry,' after a moment she backed off and stroke the tears from her face. Dick laid his hands on her shoulders.
'Lets go home,' he said. Hayley nodded, but only moved when Dick laid his hand on her back and gently pushed her through the crowded hallway.

'How is she?' Dick asked when Alfred served dinner. After Dick brought Hayley home, she took a shower and went to bed. It had just been 1 p.m. by then. Alfred sighed.
'In tears,' he said.
'Still?' Bruce asked.
'No, she fell asleep just a few minutes ago.'
'Perhaps, she should get some help,' Dick tried, not looking at Bruce.
'For what?' Bruce said as he frowned.
'With all due respect, I agree with young master Dick,' Alfred said. Bruce still looked at them with raised eyebrows. 'She lost her parents, got ditched in a strange home – away from all her friends. When she finally finds something which she really liked – this happened.'
'You didn't need help,' Bruce said as he started eating, 'and neither did I.'
'Actually, you did, master Wayne,' Alfred said, 'You just dealt differently with your situation. And so did young master Greyson.'
'So, we either get her on the team or we get her to a shrink,' Dick said with a smile.
'Alfred, call a shrink, would you,' Bruce said and sighed. Alfred's mouth slightly curled on the right side.
'Excellent, sir,' he said and left the room.

'Excuse me!' Hayley raised her eyebrows and look at Bruce. She just walked down the stairs, when Bruce crossed the hallway and said she was going to a shrink.
'Alfred arranged a psychiatrist for you, I said,' Bruce said, fixing his bowtie before the mirror.
'I'm not going to a shrink,' Hayley said. Bruce turned around and looked at her. Hayley dared him with her eyes.
'Sure you are,' he said and raised one eyebrow, it gave Hayley a cold chill. This man thought he could rule the world!
'Did I fucking stutter?' she said fierce.
'Well, there's no need-'
'You can't make me go,' Hayley said as she jumped down the last stairs, until she had reached the floor. She looked Bruce in his eyes. They were different, she thought, he was one of them upper-class spoiled little brats who made people like her work till they died.
'It's for your own good,' Bruce said soft.
'And you would know what is good for me, right, mister Wayne?' Hayley replied, the words dripping with sarcasm. She did not wait for an answer, but just passed him, grabbed her coat and walked to the front door.
'Where are you going?' Bruce yelled. Hayley swung the door open, but turned around when she heard Bruce yelling.
'Stop pretending you care,' she snapped and closed the door behind her with brutal force. Alfred turned around the kitchen corner and looked from the door to Bruce. Bruce was shaking his head and ran his hand through his hair.
'Something wrong, sir?' he said calm, as always.
'Woman,' Bruce sighed, 'This was all your idea, Alfred! Why didn't it work.'
'Well, sir, you didn't bring it quiet right.'
'I didn't bring-' Bruce looked at his butler-father, 'I give up.'
'Why do we fall, master Bruce?' Alfred said with a small smile.
'Don't use my fathers lessons against me, Alfred,' Bruce said and walked away.

'Well, I'm sure he just mend it for the best!' Kate tried. Hayley was walking with one of her closest friends through the second biggest mall in Gotham. They used to come here everyday and with their group of friends. But, time had changed. Some were in the hospital, some were in jail, some were placed in another family outside Gotham City and some just did not dare to go to crowded places anymore. And even though Hayley was pretty nervous in the beginning, she had missed her friend too much to stay home. Plus the Wayne Mansion started feeling like a prison.
'Whatever,' Hayley sighed. She stopped for a shop and looked inside. Hayley loved window-shopping with Kate, but now.
'You're still into Star Wars?' Kate sighed, when she saw the long shirt with Darth Vader on it.
'Absolutely, my young Padawan,' Hayley smiled.
'Right, I don't know what that means, but do you want to go in or not?' Kate said.
'I want to go in, definitely,' Hayley said. She grabbed Kate's arm and pulled her in. Almost forty minutes later they walked out the store. Both carrying a bag. Hayley promised she would go out with Kate, if Kate would buy (and wear!) a shirt with Yoda on it.
'I'll see you tomorrow night, alright!' Kate said, pointing her finger at Hayley.
'Nine thirty,' Hayley smiled.
'See y-' before Kate could finish her sentence, several loud shots echoed trough the streets. Immediately Kate and Hayley dropped through their knees, grabbing each others hands in fear. Suddenly three cars turned around the corner and several men were shooting from out of the car. Quickly the two friends ran back into the shop and hid behind the glasses, still too curious to get into safety. The cars passed too fast to take a good look at, but the glass before them was shattered. Carefully Hayley and Kate stood up. Their hearts were beating like crazy, but they were unhurt. Still a bit shaking they stood up and walked outside. Kate – always being the disaster tourist – quickly walked to the middle of the street and watched the cars pass. Hayley, still catching her breath slowly followed. All of the sudden a black shadow flashed over the street. Gasped followed, but it were gasps filled with thankfulness. Batman had come to save them! As Hayley still followed the dark shadow which almost flew over the street, someone ran against her shoulder. With so much speed, she almost lost her balance. Luckily for her, the person also grabbed her shoulder and helped her stand normal again.
'Sorry!' he said. Hayley wanted to snap back, but when she looked into the masked face with the bright blue eyes of Nightwing – she found no words to say. Nightwing had no time to wait and immediately ran on, jumped up against a wall and vanished.
'Well, that was awkward,' Hayley said with raised eyebrows, looking at Kate.

'No!' immediately Hayley sat up straight in her bed, panting and sweating. Gunshots, cries and screams for help echoed through her dark bedroom, followed by thunder and lighting which lit her room for a second. As she tried to catch her breath, Hayley realized she would not get anymore sleep this night. With her heart still beating like crazy, Hayley got up and walked down to the kitchen. She was still more asleep than she thought, Hayley noticed when she almost fell from the stairs. In the kitchen she tried to switch on the light, but because of the thunder it did not work. So, she just took a glass, grabbed some juice from the fridge and poured it in her glass. It was extremely silent in the mansion. Hayley liked it, it was calming. She took a sip from her juice and wanted to place the glass back. Instead, she missed the cooking sink and the glass fell on the ground. Splashing the juice all over and breaking the glass in thousands of pieces.
'Shit,' she cursed and dropped through her knees. Because the light was not turned on, Hayley did not see where the glass was and where she could place her feet. Hayley looked around, but had no clue what to do. She was surrounded by glass.
'Hayley?' someone suddenly said. Hayley jumped up and placed her left foot in some glass. She cursed and looked up. It was Dick. He looked from the limping Hayley to the glass on the floor.
'Are you alright?' he asked. Hayley sighed loudly.
'Yeah, standing in glass!' she hissed, but already regretted it, 'I'm sorry.'
'That's alright,' Dick said with a small smile, 'Need some help?'
'If you can spare a minute,' Hayley said with a giggle, looking at the glass below, 'What's your plan?'
'Give me your hand,' he said reaching his hand, 'I'll lift you up when you jump.'
'You'll do what when I what?' Hayley said when she gave him her hand. Dick smiled.
'Jump towards me, I'll catch you,' he said.
'You're not Batman you know,' Hayley said, feeling blood dripping from her foot.
'Isn't this the moment to find out?' he said. Hailey laughed and nodded.
'Fine,' she said, 'I'm already bleeding to death, might as well break my neck and end it quickly.'
'Wow, you must be an Oscar winner,' Dick said with a quick eyebrow wiggle.
'Shut up and catch me,' Hayley said. Dick nodded.
'Just jump towards me, and I'll catch you,' he promised. Hayley took a deep breath, slightly bended her knees and just tried to jump as good as she could. Dick caught her and Hayley immediately wrapped her legs around him. She looked in his eyes, they were pretty blue. Gently he placed her on the sink and placed a plaster on her foot. When he came back up, Hayley's hand was on his shoulder and his hand was on het upper leg. They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. This was not planned.
'We shouldn't be doing this,' Hayley whispered.
'I know,' Dick whispered, but still leaned forward and kissed her. Hayley wanted to wrap her arms around him, but him pushed him away. His hand was still on her leg and her hand was still on his hand.
'I can't, I don't know you,' Hayley slipped down the sink, but Dick did not move a bit making Hayley stand real close to him. Hayley looked at him and felt her heart beating, still she slit passed him and walked back to her room.

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