A/N: With Samantha now part of the family, and Tim determined to marry her, Jason and Dick have taken it upon themselves to teach Tim how to please a woman without Bruce knowing about it. Something powerful happens and two brothers are in hot water with their father. Dick and Jason decide they had better keep out of Bruce's way for a while by taking a case that leads them out of Gotham. The case, however, has to be interrupted when word reaches them that Tim has a life threatening illness . . . or is it? And has that case actually come to Gotham?

New Life, Death, and Soul Easters

by

AJRedRobin and JasonToddLover

Part 13: Death Does Not Have to be Permanent

Samantha had enough with this charade. If this was some kind of mean practical joke, she was going to have someone's head on a platter. She would inform Bruce about it and Jason would get hell for it. It was hurtful and mean. Samantha left the library and headed to the living room. Jason followed in her footsteps, keeping a respectful distance. She entered the living room and froze. She could hear Dick's deep racking sobs. If this was a joke, Dick sure didn't sound like he was laughing. Samantha approached to find Dick clutching onto Tim as Jason had said. She came closer and tried to see what Jason was talking about. Dick was holding onto Tim, pressing his limp body against his chest and rocking back and forth. He was softly singing a song, the words escaping Samantha's ears because the language wasn't familiar to her.

'So, he is dead,' Samantha thought. Tears prickled at her eyes and her knees started to buckle. 'No, I can't believe this. We're supposed to get married. What abut his children?'

Samantha felt a stirring inside as if the two souls were aware that something was wrong. Then something flitted within her vision. She should not have been able to see it, but her unique abilities as a healer gave her a heightened sense of awareness that others did not have. The image that floated around her and Dick was a small orb that was reddish in color. It pulsed and glowed, and floated in front of her. Dick and Jason didn't even seem to be aware of it. The orb moved away from her toward Tim's body and hovered there then moved back toward Sammie. It moved in to brush against her cheek. She looked closely at the red orb and realized what she was looking at. She reached up and cupped her hands around the red orb.

"Timmy, is that you?"

The orb in Sammie's hands pulsed and brightened.

"It is you," Sammie was excited and devastated at the same time. What could have happened? How did Tim's protective spirit-orb end up here outside his body?

~Creature . . . demon . . . soul eater,~ Tim explained as best he could.

"I can hear your thoughts," Samantha said. "Your spirit-orb that houses your soul and aura must be returned."

~I cannot get back inside,~ Tim said. ~Dick is in anguish. He believes I'm dead.~

"Technically, you are dead. We must return you to your body before it's too late."

~How?~

"Like this," Samantha continued to cup the orb that contained Tim's soul. With her own aura, she created a tiny bubble around the orb, trapping it within. "Dick, please give me Tim's body."

"Tim's body," Dick looked confused. "Tim's asleep. He shouldn't be disturbed." Dick continued to rock his brother's limp body.

"Please, Dick," Samantha pleaded. "I only want to give him a kiss."

"A kiss goodnight?"

"Yes, a kiss goodnight."

Dick looked down at his brother's face. "I guess it won't hurt." Dick adjusted Tim's limp form so Tim was lying across his legs and his face was exposed so Samantha could easily reach his lips. "You promise not to wake him?"

"I promise," Samantha said. She placed the bubble in her mouth and leaned down to press her warm lips against Tim's cold ones. She forced his lips apart with her tongue then pushed the bubble into Tim's mouth. The bubble went down his throat and traveled to the core and settled deep within. The bubble then dissolved and the orb that contained Tim's soul latched itself onto the tether that was Tim's lifeline. Tim's aura started to spread outward along his lifeline and through the rest of his body.

"Thank you," Samantha said and she placed her hand upon Tim's chest and sent healing energy to his heart. Tim's heart muscle needed healing if it was going to beat, again. The heart muscle could still die. It took a few minutes, but Sammie could sense when Tim's heart was ready to start beating, again. Even so, he needed to do one thing. She sent a jolt of an electrical pulse. The sudden shock started Tim's still heart to beating. Tim's body arched and he took in a sudden breath of air.

Continues with Part 14