A/N A bit more layering, Sibling rivalry, and if you catch it, a clue that someone might show their face in the next chapter. Thank you everyone for the reviews, you have no idea how motivating they can be. As for bumping the rating down to Teen, I'm a little unsure of that, only because I know what's coming. It's been mild, yes, but only because Del has not fully been involved, witnessing things with her own eyes. But I'll definitely keep the suggestion in mind, especially if the chapters don't shape quite like I expect.


I, like so many in this world have my own fears, rational and otherwise. Death tends to top the list for so many. I look at it like this, death is inevitable. No one gets out of it. (Unless you're Ra's al Ghul.) The eternal sleep at the end of a life is nowhere near my list of 'things to be afraid of' but being alone for whatever time I have left on this earth, that's another matter.

To many I'm just a rich little girl who has the world at her feet. But really…my world is rather small. Dad, Dick, Alfred and Sam; the pillars of my life. If one of them should fall, I don't know what I would do. When the Dark Knight leaves this house, there's always a risk that he might not come back. It's enough to keep me pacing the floor of the bat cave into the wee hours of the morning. He hates that. He never wanted a life where someone would be stuck, anxiously waiting for him to come home. It's not something he foresaw taking on the role as Batman. Nor did it occur to him what would happen when he finally stepped into the role of a parent. I've learned that what my father does has its own risks.

He's learning to accept that there are people who do care about what happens to him. And I'm still learning not to hold my breath when he leaves. I have faith in my father, but even I know when he's starting to get in over his head. My father is not one to ask for help. That suits me fine, it just means I never have to tell him when I'm helping him.


When Alfred Pennyworth glanced in the backseat, both Wayne children had their faces tilted out toward their own perspective windows, the sunlight flickering across their faces as the buildings rose and fell, casting shadows down on the car. It couldn't get any more awkward.

"Master Dick will be waiting for you at the manor, Miss Wayne."

The girl seemed to sink back as she reached up to push the wisps of dark brown hair that had skirted around her face. At that moment, she looked exhausted, as if the front she had built was let down.

"Dad told me he might."

"He has a son now, he doesn't need that fill in."

Just as easily as Delilah had let her guard down, it was built right back up.

"Let's get this clear." She said evenly, turning ever so slightly to the dark haired boy across from her. "As far as I'm concerned. He is my brother. Which is more than I can say for you."

Damian's grim set mouth opened. "I'm his blood son." He shot out.

"And?"

"That's all he needs. He doesn't even need you. "

Delilah flopped back on the seat, rolling her big blue eyes at the ceiling of the cab. "Yes he does…" She said with a sigh. "You just have no idea. You only know what your mother and grandfather told you. You know of him. But you don't know him."

"Hmph."

"Hmph, yourself, Ninja Boy."

From the reflection of her window, she could see Damian peering over his shoulder at her. Was he not used to people challenging him back? The thought was quickly banished when the Manor began to rise from the top of the cliff, Del spotted Dick, parked on the steps.

"Really, Miss Wayne!" Alfred called, the car hadn't fully come to a stop and the girl had simply hopped out with a Doberman in her wake.

"So this is Grayson?" Well, fuck. Look who's a bit of a copycat. Dick looked a little miffed staring at the nameless boy, but Damien only looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "A lot shorter than I thought he would be."

Delilah didn't hesitate; she slapped him on the back of the head. "Jesus, you're rude." The boy quickly turned on his heel, if Del hadn't dodged she would have gotten a foot in the face, but that didn't stop him from advancing. She was blocking and dogging him the best she could, but he was quicker than she expected. She knew it, and now so did he.

"Come on! Can't you fight back?!" He jeered, when she caught his hand, he then made a move to sweep her legs out from under her, but instead of spilling to the ground, the girl bent back, pushing off her free hand into a back hand spring, creating enough space between them for Dick and Alfred to fit. "You alright, Miss Wayne?" Alfred asked, aware that the girl was breathing rather heavily. "He's a quick little shit." She breathed, forcing herself to stretch her arms to the sky and take a deep breath as the old man's face turned a bright shade of pink.

"Sorry, Alfred. It just came out."

"I'd say your filter is broken again." He commented, turning then to steer Damion away from the driveway and toward the house. "This way, Master Damian."

Damian paused on the steps, his dark green eyes landing on Delilah. "I told you, he doesn't need the fill in. And he certainly doesn't need you."

Dick had his fingers locked behind his head, he was watching the boy and the butler disappear inside the house, when Delilah approached him. "Who's the kid?"

"My brother."

He turned to her at that. "Excuse me?"

"Talia and Dad." She grumbled out, stomping up the steps with Dick just behind her. "When did this happen?!"

"Talia just dropped him in Dad's lap last night."

"After all the times he bitched at me about being careful…"

Delilah held the door for him but he shook his head. "Go put some jeans on and meet me in the garage."

He didn't have to tell her twice.


Damian slipped from the house quietly, paying no mind to how the damp grass clung to his shoes. What he didn't like was how the dew left evidence of his presence. Just in front of him the orange remnants of the sun was sinking just behind the trees. And somewhere, just beyond reach of the balding branches he could hear the revving of a bike as it shifted gears.

"Now, you're goosing it on purpose." Dick accused, becoming visible, as Damian waded soundlessly through the trees. Judging by the wide smile on his face, he didn't seem to mind that the girl was horsing around. Grandfather never would have stood for that. There was never time for such immaturity. Leaning against the soft bark of a birch, the boy slid down into an easy crouch, watching the bike zip past him. She floored it across the yard, leaning in with a sharp turn when Grayson gestured for her to circle back. Even from here, the world could hear her whoops of joy. The boy just shook his head.

Bringing the bike in front of Grayson, she shut it down, kicking out the stand to let it lean as she pulled the helmet off, revealing a smile just as wide and ridiculous as his. "So?"

"I'm so proud of you!" Dick cried in pure mockery, swinging an arm around Delilah. "She's so grown up!"

"Oh, God, you are a dork." But then quietly, "Thanks, Dick."

"But I'm an awesome dork, right?"

"Duh." The girl looked down at her helmet then back up at Grayson. "I don't know how Dad is going to handle this."

Damian turned his head to the sound of the gate being opened; he watched wordlessly as a black car slid through and began its ascent up the curving drive. "I guess we're about to find out." Damian felt his lips twist, as their father slid from the car. He walked right to the ledge of the drive and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"See ya up there. Whatever you do, don't go for the defensive right off the bat. Remember you and I have to have a talk. So don't piss him off too much."

Delilah didn't say anything, but put her helmet back in place; kick started the bike and raced up the driveway. Though to her credit she took the curves easily, playing the part of a novice who was utterly proud of herself rather than a girl who picked up a skill at a rate her so called teacher wasn't expecting. Dick sighed, and started to march up to the house, but the man paused. "Yo, Kid, C'mon."

Damian pulled himself from his crouch slowly. "What? Didn't think we noticed?" Damian didn't say a word, listening intently for the voices that broke the layering evening. "And just what is this?"

"A dirt bike?" Delilah said dubiously, still grinning when she peeled herself from the bike. She might have been happy with herself, Bruce Wayne on the other hand….was not. "And what if something happened?" He wanted to know, following her when she began to walk the bike to the garage.

"Ever see one of these before?" Delilah asked, shaking her helmet. "I could be wrong but it could be this thing that people wear in case of accidents."

Dick immediately put his palms into his face. So much for not hopping on the defensive.

"Delilah, you-"

"Have limits. I know." Del supplied, lining the bike back into its place. She didn't have to turn around to know he had that stern look on his face. She could feel his eyes on her back. "Don't you think I know when I'm reaching my limits?!" She cried turning swiftly on her heel. "I know when I can't catch my breath; I know when my heart rate is getting a little too high. I know to stop when I feel like I'm getting dizzy. And none of that happened." She lifted her arms, but the just flopped to her sides. "I just wanted to learn how."

"Then why didn't you come to me?"

"Would you have said okay, if I did?"

Her father's lips tightened, his silence was all the answer that she needed.

"Exactly." She moved to buzz right by him, but he stepped right into her path. When he wouldn't move out her way she turned back to the garage, fisting her hands. "I get it. I get it." She whispered. "You don't want anything to happen to me."

"Someone gets babied."

In the seconds it took for the words to come from Damian's mouth, Delilah grabbed the first thing she could and flung it at him. The boy simply caught the wrench in his hand, not even flinching when it met his palm with a crack. "Still too slow." He said, dropping the wrench to the ground with a clatter.

Damian lunged, but found his father's hand fist in his shirt, Grayson had moved into the garage, and was restraining the girl from leaving. "Whoa, no round 2."

"Why not? It'd be quick." Damian sneered.

"C'mon then you little shit."

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

Oh, fuck. Batman voice. Delilah relaxed, letting Dick release her.

Her father had Damian in an arm bar. He wasn't letting go. "I catch you riding without a helmet, that's it. You're done." With that he drug Damian off toward the house. When his shadow disappeared from sight, Del slid to the floor.

"Well, that went over like a fart in church."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Delilah snipped, watching Dick as he put the wrench away. "Damian's right…he always wears the kids gloves with me."

At that Dick wandered over and slid himself to the floor next to her, stretching out his long legs as he leaned against a beam. "Was he ever like that with you? Or Barbra? Or Jason?"

Dick leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling. "Not exactly. He was hard with us at times, but we never fell into the same category as you either."

When she didn't say anything he looked back down. "You're a different ball of wax, whether you want to admit it or not. He wasn't in love with our mothers. He didn't come in and out of our lives before we came here. He didn't raise us from the age of a pre-schooler. And yes, he cares for all of us, even if he can be a real big grumpy pain in the ass, but you he loves. It's not like we ever drew him pictures with crayons and glitter you know…"

"Oh, god, I did do that…" Delilah sighed, "He even left one of them in the bat cave for almost a month and a half."

"And I haven't even gotten to all the health junk yet." At that Delilah hung her head. "Really? Do we need to cover this part?" But when Dick held up his hand, she quieted, bringing her up her knees and tucking them under her chin.

"It's not something he can visibly fight. He has to sit back and watch you fight something alone. That's not how he operates. He takes on a Robin or a Batgirl, to fight together. He can't jump in and protect you the same way he would for us. Do you know how much that that drives him crazy? So the only thing he knows to do is to kid-glove you."

"So I don't fight at all…"

Delilah inter locked her fingers and released them again. "But it keeps me from living…"

"And that's where you two butt heads."

"Why do you think he's never took me on?" She asked, surprised the words even came out at all. But then Dick sighed. "I think it's more about him, than you."

He said giving her a glance. "Out there, he must be Batman. He can't be distracted from it. When he gets distracted, he starts making mistakes, and we both know how well he handles those. I think he sees you as a major distraction."

When Del's shoulder's began to slump, Dick turned toward her. "Who's you're Dad? Batman? Or Bruce Wayne?"

Delilah furrowed her brows. "Both…" But as the word slid out she understood what he was getting at. "He can't be both when he's on patrol." Dick nodded. "He knows that too. I think he's not sure if he could keep them separated if you were involved."

"Makes sense."

Dick reached over and slapped the girl on the back. "While we're on this subject, I wanted to talk to you about something…"

At that Delilah sat up.

"A Kid came to me, he knows that your father is Batman, And that I'm Nightwing."

Delilah felt her mouth fall open. "How?!"

Dick worked himself to his feet. "He has proof that he pieced together on some hunches." He said, offering her a hand to pull her to her feet. "I've been running him through his paces….Del, he's good. Very good, and he wants to help. "

Before Delilah could say anything, Dick held up his hands. "I know, I know how you feel about it, but we both know that your Dad needs an extra hand out there."

Delilah crossed her arms in front of her. "I want to meet him. " At that Dick's lips split into one of his wide grins. "I was hoping you'd say that. I asked him to stop by on Sunday night, while we stuff our faces with Chinese and poke fun at movies." He told her, sliding an arm around her shoulder so he could begin to drag her toward the house.

"Okay, but now I have something to ask you." Dick froze right there on the pathway. "It's one of those fantastic and stupid ideas of yours isn't it?"

"Oh, but they're fun." She teased. He simply sighed, rolled his eyes and looked down at his shoes. "Okay…okay." He said looking at her. "Let's hear it."

"Dad won't take me on...but would you? Or could you?"

Dick went silent.

" I want to see if I can. If I can't if something happens, I'll stop."

"You're really not ready." When she opened her mouth to protest he stopped her. "After regionals, I will take you out for one night to see if it's a possibility." She almost started jumping up and down right there. "For the next three weeks, when I pop up here, I want to see you training your butt off."

"Damian almost handed my ass to me." Delilah shot Dick a glance; "Don't tell him I said that. "

"No, I won't tell him. But you did almost get your ass handed to you by a ten year old."

"Oh come on! He's been trained by the league of assassins since day one!."

"Three weeks."

Delilah watched as Dick headed for his car. Three weeks. It wasn't a very long stretch to prepare from. Lucius was a man of his word, he'd send her the suit, but he wasn't a miracle worker. It didn't give much time for trial runs. She'd have to make the best of them. Not only that, she'd have to avoid Nightwing and Batman completely until then. It wasn't going to be an easy feat. "I'll probably see you later. He's going to be grumpy as fuck."

"Sorry…"


"In the cave?"

Alfred nodded, watching as the girl circled around the kitchen. "Neither one is hungry, and this may be a futile attempt, but are you hungry?" The girl smiled. "Alfred, I can't speak for the mini Bruce, but if you make something with bacon, I bet I can get the Bats to scarf down at least half of it."

Delilah, counted the steps as she wandered down to the batcave, slowly letting her eyes adjust to the dim light as she descended into the earth, listening to the bat chatter and the sound of the falls flooding in from the ocean. Damian was standing up on the platform with his hands behind his back. "This must be fake." He complained staring at the black and white photo of Del throwing a punch into the Joker's cell. Delilah only looked up and shrugged. "Nope that's real." She said, making her way to the computer.

Her father turned his head, just as she picked up half the sandwich off of her plate. "You do know I was teasing about you hanging that, right?" She framed the article as a gag. Looks like the joke was on her. Batman did have a sense of humor.

"You never specified where I would hang it." His eyes slid to the sandwich in her hand, he took it from her. "What is it with you and the bacon? It's not good for that heart."

"Is that why you're always swiping my food? Batman, the bacon Nazi."

He said nothing, he simply stood up, and handed her the headset, the cue that he was leaving.

"I'm coming with you." Damian said, hopping over the railing and down to the floor.

"No."

Batman and daughter both stared at each other. "Get off my brain waves." Delilah quipped, forcing her father to shake his head, as he all but swallowed the half sandwich whole.

"Face it, if I can't go, neither can you." With that Delilah plopped herself into the chair. She settled the headset in place, not that he ever asked for much. Maybe the occasional blueprint. Delilah tried not to look back as she heard the boosters firer up. But of course, old habits die hard. She watched him go. Leaving her and Damian alone with the bats.

"It's a crock. I'm far superior to your skill set."

"You do like pointing out the obvious, don't you, Ninja Boy?"

"Watch that sarcasm."

"Oh? Offends your sensibilities does it? You're making it way too easy to push your buttons." Delilah watched his reflection in the monitor, watching him wander closer as she started to go through her notes. "I don't know what your mother told you to expect. But he hasn't taken on a robin in more than ten years, he's not going to take you on, just because you're here, or because you're related by blood. You can trust me on that."

She watched his eyes fall to the plate beside her. "Take it." After she was done analyzing she wasn't going to want to eat for a while anyway. Damian didn't hesitate. The sandwich was gone in a few greedy bites. "Geez, hungry or something?"

"I was taught that you don't eat until your superiors do."

At that Delilah sighed and swiveled the chair around. "I would throw that rule right out the window while you're here. Dad-"

"Father."

Delilah cleared her throat. "Dad hardly ever eats, and it's a miracle if he gets more than 3 hours of sleep at night." A miracle she called Alfred. With that, the girl turned back to the computer, crossing her legs inside the chair. "Let's see what the Bats is up to." Like normal, his end of the microphone was muted, but that didn't mean she couldn't bounce the feed off of his camera to the computer. She just hoped he didn't turn it off.

Delilah could feel Damian's weight leaning on her chair as he leaned over her, staring at the grainy footage. "Where is that?" He asked, watching his father ascend to the roof a building he didn't recognize. At first Delilah didn't answer her fingers were flying over the keyboard, pulling up the schematics of the structure on a separate screen.

"The Zesti Cola bottling plant…"

Del quickly sent him the new schematics, tapping her fingers on the arms of the chair when she watched her father test the new hologram.

"When did you update this?"

"Not even 30 seconds ago. Apparently they've been busy with a few remodels, especially in the lower end." Why are you there? What are you up to? But she just couldn't force the words out fast enough. The feed went black. "You're welcome."

"Complete black out, Miss?" Delilah listened to the sound of Alfred's footsteps.

"Of course." She muttered. "That's what I get for letting him know I can see where he is and what he's doing."

Alfred set the tray he had down. Caffeine. Oh, thank God.

"Brown sugar instead of white?"

"Yes, Master Damian."

"Lemon?"

"Yes."

Delilah reached for a mug, watching the boy and that dainty china cup. If he was going to be here all night, he was going to need something bigger. But Alfred simply shrugged when the girl glanced at him.

"I suppose this is adequate."

"Persnickety, much?"

But Damien only raised his dimpled chin at her. When one is raised in a higher station, they should act like it." But his sister was rolling her eyes.

"Save it for someone who cares." With that the girl settled in front of the computer with her mug.

"Master Damian-"

In the reflection of the screen, Delilah could see Damian peeking under a sheet. One of Dad's projects in progress. It was neat bike, but it only worked for 6 seconds flat. "He can't make it any worse, and if he manages to, it's his ass." It would give the kid something to do. Alfred only sighed and began his way back up the stairs.

"Surely I'm getting too old for this."

Delilah saw it this way, it kept them from having to speak to each other. She simply directed him when he started going through drawers and cabinets. "Top left, all the way in the back."

Damian looked down at the part in his hand and back at her. She wasn't even looking at him, but she knew what he was after. "Do you know where absolutely everything is?" he asked.

"Pretty much. I spend a lot of time down here." If she didn't, she'd practically never see her father.

It fell into an easy pattern, though the random knocks, bangs and sound of power tools took some getting used to. Nights like this, it was just her…and the bats. The hours blurred close together, marked only by the times Delilah had reached the bottom of her cup.

"Who is that?"

Delilah had her chin resting on her hand, her eyes up at the screen. She had seen these pictures so many times, and yet still they stirred everything in her. She could still feel the blood soaked night gown clinging to her, she could still remember the smell of gunpowder and the over overwhelming metallic tang of blood.

"My mother…" The words left her softer than she had anticipated. She quickly enlarged a picture of her mother, one where she was smiling and her big green eyes were full of light…and life.

"Our mother's look rather similar don't you think?" Damian asked, trying the best he could to wipe the thick black grease from his hands. Had he looked down at his hands any longer, he might have missed the quick flash of a smile at the corner of his sister's mouth. "When I met your mother for the first time…for a split second I thought she might have been…" The girl shrugged. "I guess it proves that Dad has a very particular taste in women."

"Your mother was just something to fill the void."

Delilah could feel her fingers digging into the chair. Don't. Don't play into it. She told herself. Surely that's what the boy wanted.

"That's what Mother says."

"Unlike her, mine didn't have to drug anyone." Delilah said coolly, cursing when she realized her cup was empty and so was the teapot.

"What's that?" When she turned her attention back to the screen, she noticed Damian pointing to something in one of the photos. After all the times she looked at these, she had never noticed it before. Her mother was upturned, her finger tips up toward the camera. As if she had forced them that way. Delilah zoomed in, realizing that there was black ink faintly written on her finger.

..- .- .- ….- …..

"Morse code?"

The chair flung back, forcing Damian to jump out of the way.

"She left clues, this entire time."

"2,1,1,4,5?"

"I know what it goes to." Though the words were more to the air then to Damian himself. He craned his neck hearing the door open from the world up stairs. "Yo! D!" Grayson came down the stairs a few a time. "Have you heard anything from the Bats?"

"No. Hasn't said a peep in the last few hours." She said quickly. Dick crossed his arms, watching the girl frantically move about the cave. "Del, what's going on?" He asked, watching her slip into an oversized leather jacket.

"She's all in a tiff over something trivial." Damian stated, jerking his thumb to the monitor behind him. His eyes widened.

"Whoa! Whoa! No!" he shouted, scrambling when he noticed she had that damn helmet he gave her on her head. Delilah only paused as she swung her leg over the first bike she had the keys to. "Get out of my way, Dick."

"And what about your Dad?"

"He'll come to me. Keep that one out of trouble." She said pointing at Damian.

There was nothing but a line of exhaust trailing her out of the bat cave. Dick looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Nothing but trouble.


Riding this early in the morning made it easy, the roads were nearly empty, and what traffic there was, the girl weaved around easily, paying no mind to the street lights as they flickered across her helmet in brief flashes. She knew this route, even when the houses on the streets had changed over the years; she still knew the way they mapped out toward the city like veins. The old residential street she cruised on looked as if it had aged in her absence; nothing was familiar, say for one tired dark house.

Delilah cringed at the sound of her feet on the driveway, fearing they were so loud she could wake the entire neighborhood. Stepping onto the porch she felt like she couldn't breathe, forcing herself to wrench open the storm door. In the midst of digging into her pockets for the right key, her eyes caught the old scars on the bottom of the door. Marks from tiny fingernails, were still etched into the wood. Dad had replaced the flooring, changed out the windows. But he couldn't erase what happened here.

The breath she was holding slid out of her in a whoosh when she stepped inside. She was greeted by furniture draped in long white sheets. The smell of dust and age, but lingering…ever so faintly Delilah could smell home. Making quick work of the security alarm, Delilah fished a flashlight out of her pocket. The house was nearly empty now, but there had been things that her father had left, things he wanted her to go through. She just never had the heart to do it.

Delilah wandered her way to her mother's room, surprised that the steps were fewer than she remembered. It too smelled of paint and dust but when Delilah opened the closet, tears sprang to her eyes. There lingering amongst the clothes and shoes was the scent of her mother.

Delilah eased herself to her knees, letting her fingers feel for that small hole she knew to be somewhere in the closet. When she found it, she lifted the board away. "It's still here." She breathed, realizing that sitting there under a layer of dust, was a safe. Placing the flashlight in her mouth, the girl crawled on her belly to reach it. Too heavy to lift out of the small crawlspace, Delilah had no choice but to force her fingers to reach the key pad. 2,1,1,4,5. To her relief it came open. Scooping out the contents, she worked her way to her knees. A bundle of letters simply marked with the letter P. A soft leather bound book, filled with page upon page of her mother's elegant hand. And a long metal box. When Delilah finally opened it, a soft stone pendent in the shape of a bird fell into her lap. Inside there were a few other things, pictures mostly, of a blonde haired boy and his bird. She picked up the neatly folded letter.

I've done a lot of things wrong, so I'm hoping that this can make things right one day, maybe not for me, but for you. It's Bane's Favor. We were all given a totem, carved from the rock of Peña Dura. Should something happen, take this to him. He cannot refuse what you ask of him, as long as you have this. Take care of it, and keep it safe and tell no one you have it.

Ben

Delilah folded the letter back up, sliding all the contents in the box, into the bag she had with her, she only paused when she put her fingers on the floor. She could feel the vibrations of movement. Someone else was in this house. Delilah slowly pulled herself to her feet, sliding the pendent in her pocket. Just as the floor creaked behind her, the girl whirled, brandishing the flashlight, which her father caught.

"What are you doing?"

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing." She retorted, placing the boards back over the crawlspace.

"I think I know why Mom was targeted." She added stepping out of the closet, she had to stop and blink the sudden threat of tears away. "Sorry, it –"

"Still smells like her."

"Yeah…" When she finally turned and faced him, Delilah felt her mouth drop open. "What the hell happened to you?!" She asked, shining the flashlight on the wound she noticed on his arm.

"Someone who calls himself the Red Hood."

"Jesus, he tried to fill you full of expanding rounds." Had it not been for the suit, he probably would have. The rounds were made to create a larger exit than its entrance, but thankfully the suit seemed to slow the momentum enough that they at least didn't exit his body.

"There's another one up in my shoulder…I-I can't move my arm."

"And your knee." The girl cringed. Damn that had to hurt, on closer inspection she could see crystals of rock salt lining the entry of his arm. "I can try to get this one out." She told him, whipping the pair of tweezers from his utility belt before he could. "Whoever this Red Hood is, he's a sadistic shit."

His only response was to grunt at her. "I almost got it, I'm trying to keep any more salt from spilling out." She worked the tweezers carefully, trying to unhook the barbs of the round that had yet to fully expand from his flesh. It hit the floor with a thud.

"Thank you…" he breathed, forcing himself to flex his arm when he bent down and picked up the nasty round.

"Alfred is going to have to remove the other two for you…I don't think I could get those out with just a pair of tweezers." She handed him the tweezers when he held out his hand for them. "Me and the dirt bike, you and your bullet holes. Who takes the bigger risks here?" He seemed a little surprised by the statement. "I don't like it when shit happens to you, either you know." But she shrugged. "I also know it comes with the territory."

"What did you find?" Of course. Batman was all business. Delilah pulled the pendent from her pocket. "I think this is what they were after." She said, putting the object in his hand. "Who is Ben?" she asked, watching him turn it over.

"Your uncle."

"Mom never mentioned him." She said, crossing her arms. But Batman shook his head. "She wouldn't have. Ben is Bird. Mind you their only half siblings from what I understand, but your mother certainly wasn't comfortable with his connections. Every time he'd contact her, she'd pack up and move."

"She was afraid of him…of who he had around him."

He nodded.

"She only moved back to Gotham because of your grandmother's health."

Delilah shifted herself on her feet. It was strange thing to be discussing a family she had never known.

"She told me everything…but I didn't know that he had sent her this."

"She wrote the combination to the safe box on her finger in Morse code of all things. Damian noticed it in one of the pictures."

"In all the years…"

"I didn't see it either." But then every time she saw those pictures, she was right back here again, reliving the moment frame by frame in the back of her mind.

"We were too emotionally involved. Even if you did spot it…you wouldn't know what it went to." Delilah shrugged crossing the small space of the room. "I only saw Mom use the safe once. I never really thought about it again."

"About when do you think this was?"

Delilah bit her lip walking from the door to the closet as if she could still see her mother hovering over the crawlspace. "It was after my surgery. My stitches were itching…" She shook her head. "it was probably only a couple weeks before…"

Delilah wasn't sure if it was relief or agony she saw flicker across her father's face, though in truth it was hard to tell with the cowl. She hadn't hidden it from him. It was more likely that she wasn't able to tell him. If she could have then maybe…

"Someone out there must think I've had that stupid rock all this time."

"That would explain the break-ins here over the last few years."

Delilah could have kicked something. "How does this tie in to everything else? Did they simply try to make Mom's death look like another Zesti Cola mishap?"

Batman reached into his belt, showing the vials syrup he had tucked away. "I went and took some samples while I was over in that part of town, there were different tanks in different areas, including the new locations they added to the basement floors."

"Gillespe and St. James didn't ransack the house. They went right after Mom. They were told to, and I want to know who's responsible for sending them."

"So do I."

Delilah didn't fight him when he gave her a push toward the door. Stepping out of the house, the girl shuddered, trying to shake off the feelings that the house had given her.

"You're right. He did go right to you."

Delilah eyed Nighwing curiously as he lounged on her bike, it was almost as if had been waiting on them to come outside. "Magic." She said, aware that Batman all but steered her away from the bike and toward the Bat-mobile. Delilah tried not to think about the fact she had to ride home with her father. The last few times that happened, the night didn't end on a good note.

"So…can I drive?"

"No."

"You're wounded."

"I'm not hurt that badly."